New World University
by imangieee
Summary: Sequel to Grand Line Academy. Luffy left without a word, only leaving behind a letter with a specific message only for the crew to read and a video ending his relationship with Nami. After two long years, will everything be the same as it was?
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Sequel to Grand Line Academy. Luffy left without a word, only leaving behind a letter with a specific message only for the crew to read and a video ending his relationship with Nami. After two long years, will everything be the same as it was?**

**Surprise! And Happy Birthday to me! Here's a little present from me to you. A brand new story or sequel. (:**

**I tried to make it seem like Grand Line Academy was going to have no sequel at its ending. But it didn't work for some of you. Anyway, if you haven't read GLA already, go read that before reading this. This will containers spoilers from that story.**

_Everyone_

_I'm sorry for disappearing on you on a short notice, but Rayleigh and I talked about something very important. The fact that I nearly lost and almost lost my life in the tournament just shows that I'm not strong and smart enough to enter New World yet. What kind of captain would I be if I can't even protect my crew? My strength doesn't **meet** the same standards as the New World students. I will just end up beaten **again **just like **in** my last fight. Whether it takes one, **two**, or three **years**, I'm going to get stronger. I left without saying goodbye, because I know there's no point in saying it when I know I'll see you all again. I hope you'll forgive me for my selfish actions. I will see you all again soon._

_Luffy_

One specific message has been sent out for the Straw Hat crew from their captain. With that one message from the Straw Hat captain, the crew disbanded and separated on their on. For two years, each one of them has trained to become stronger and improve their skills. For two years, each of them has set off into separate colleges to get the best education from the best. For two years, none of them has had any contact with each other.

After broadcasting the captain's stunning fight at the tournament as well as the crew's strong bonds, they have been known throughout all of Japan. But for those two years, the Straw Hats have disappeared from the public eye. Magazines and newspapers have been published, wondering about the famous crew's whereabouts.

Now, two long years have passed and everyone is preparing for the big rebirth of the famous Straw Hat crew.

-x-x-

A slim figure stood at the front steps of her old home in which she hasn't used in the last two years. During those two years, she spent all of her time in Northern Japan studying the weather and learning to draw maps. Not once has she contacted her sister, or anyone in that matter.

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the house key. After two years, she slipped it into the key hole and unlocked the door. She pushed the door open and stepped in.

"Who's there?" someone called out from upstairs. She could hear the panic feeling in her steps as she heard her run down the stairs. She smiled when her older sister appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Her long purple-blue hair grew out long, just like hers, and her tattoo was still clearly visible for her to see. She had a shocked expression on her face at the sight of seeing her long lost little sister standing at the front door.

"Nami?"

"I'm home."

-x-x-

A certain green haired swordsman took his helmet off and brushed a hand through his slightly long hair. He smoothed out his tuxedo and took out his key from the ignition. He just got off his motorcycle when suddenly, he was greeted with multiple flashes that nearly blinded him.

"Roronoa Zoro! You're back! Would you please answer a few questions?"

"Look here, Roronoa!"

"Where have you been the past two years?"

"Roronoa!"

"Get out of the way," yelled Zoro. He pushed through the crowd of paparazzi. He opened his one good eye and realized just how big that crowd was. He was startled when someone grabbed his arm and started dragging him to the edge of the beach.

"Ace?"

"I'm surprised to see _you_ here first."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Zoro looked on ahead and met with an unexpected surprise. A roped fence blocked the beach from the sidewalk and there were guards everywhere.

"What's going on? Why are there guards everywhere? And since when is there a rope fence blocking the beach?"

One of the guards unhooked the rope to let Ace and Zoro through. The guard quickly hooked the rope back on to make sure none of the photographers got through. Ace and Zoro stopped walking and looked back at the sidewalk where all of them gathered.

"If you can't tell already, its to keep the paparazzi away. Ever since the tournament two years ago, its been chaotic around the city."

"Why?"

"Don't you remember what happened at the hospital before you all separated? The Straw Hats are big news nowadays. You've been on head lines and on most magazines lately."

"Then, how's everything been with you guys?"

"We get more and more customers in the bar everyday. Mom's fine with it as long as they give us our privacy and order something. Its been especially hard on Dad and I. When they found out that Red Haired Shanks and Fire Fist Ace are Luffy's dad and brother, everyone's been dying to know just who Straw Hat Luffy is."

"I had no idea. Are any of the others here yet?"

"No, and like I said before, I'm surprised to see _you_ here _first_. We're still getting the wedding prepared. Wanna help?"

"I've got nothing else to do."

-x-x-x-

As Nami walked closer to the end of the beach, she stared in awe at the beautiful decoration for the wedding ceremony. Although some parts were kept white to match the tradition for the wedding, there were hints of aquamarine everywhere to match the beach mood. She knew Shanks couldn't have picked such a beautiful decor like this. Makino really had nice taste.

Shanks and Makino are getting married. From what she's heard from Nojiko, they've had a long engagement that almost lasted two years. It was sweet how the both of them wanted to wait this whole time until their son came back. But what are the odds of everyone - or that specific someone - even showing up today?

"Would you like to sit with me, Onee-chan?"

Nami spun around, astounded by this brand new person standing behind her. She gasped when she recognized his long nose.

"Usopp!"

"Yo-AH!" Before Usopp could say anything, Nami gave him a huge life threatening hug.

"Usopp! Look at you! You got kinda manly!"

"Y-Yea, you've blossomed yourself." Usopp couldn't manage to speak due to Nami's tight hug. He coughed when Nami released him. "So, have you seen the others yet?"

"No. I just got here."

"Well, what are you waiting for?"

Usopp grabbed her wrist and started pulling her to one of the benches towards the front. Much to her surprise, Zoro, Franky, and Chopper were already here.

"You've grown really nice, Nee-chan!" said Franky. Nami was completely astonished by Franky's new look. His funky hair do was gone, shaven and turned into a buzz cut. He grew taller and more muscular, probably more muscular than an average person. Zoro, on the other hand, had grown a little taller and his hair was slightly longer and slicked back. A long vertical scar hovered over his left eye, keeping that eye closed shut. He too grew more muscular and more lean.

While her own hair grew out to where it reached her hips, she was wearing a dress that exposed her new curves. With her high heels, she wasn't as short as she used to be.

"How are you?" asked Zoro. Nami smiled. They all knew about her and Luffy's break up. They also knew that out of all of them, Nami was hurting the most.

"Better than ever. By the way, what happened to your eye?"

"I've been wondering about that too. it makes you look badass though," said Franky.

"It's nothing," was all Zoro said.

"Wow, Chopper. You've really grown," said Nami. Other than Chopper's signature pink hat still in place, their youngest and littlest friend isn't so little anymore. The now seventeen year old teen is now up to Nami's height and is slightly shorter than Usopp now. Before, he barely reached her chest.

"Two years can do a lot to a guy."

"Got that right," agreed Franky.

"Now, all that's left are Sanji, Vivi, Robin, Brook, and Luffy," said Usopp. At the sound of his name, Nami's smile disappeared. Not once has she thought about him during the two years. At first, she would cry every time she thought about him, but she had to respect Luffy's decision. Where ever he was during their time apart, he must've met some beautiful women. Unlike her, he probably got a new lover.

"Yohohoho! My my, all of you have grown!"

"Brook!"

Nami turned around. She was about to compliment him on his new change, but no words uttered out when she didn't find anything to compliment him on. Brook looked exactly the same as he did two years ago. Boney and tall.

"Where's everyone else?" asked Brook.

"Not here yet," Zoro stated the obvious.

"I can't wait to see how everyone's grown, especially Luffy-san."

"Me too!"

"Is.. Luffy really going to show up?" asked Nami.

"This is his own parents' wedding," said Franky. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Nami."

Nami turned around and saw Nojiko waving for her to follow her. She obeyed and caught up to her.

"Where are we going?"

Nojiko didn't answer and just led the way. Nami looked ahead and saw that they were heading for a little tent just off to the side of the beach.

"Someone wants to talk with you," said Nojiko. She pulled back the curtain and stepped aside. Nami looked at her sister, then stepped in. She gasped at the sight of Makino in her wedding dress.

"Nami, its so good to see you again."

Makino smiled and hugged her. Nami pulled back and eyed her dress.

"Makino, you look beautiful."

"Thank you." Makino placed a hand on her shoulder. "How are you?"

Nami nodded. "I'm fine."

"What will you do when he shows up?"

Nami looked down. She never really thought about how she'll react once she sees him again. Happy? Angry? She was glad to see some of the crew back already, but different emotions were running through her every time she thought about Luffy. They were no longer together. She can't run up to him and kiss him. She can't touch him like she normally would. She probably means nothing to him now. Whether Luffy does show up tonight or not, she's not prepared.

-x-

Nami walked back to the crew with her head down. The conversation with Makino was a nice one, if only she didn't bring up her son. She reached the rest of the crew, surprised to see two new faces to the group.

"Sanji-kun! Vivi!"

Her feet stopped when she saw them holding hands. They were still together. During those two years apart without seeing each other, they were still together.

Vivi ran up to her and hugged her tightly. "Its been so long, Nami-san."

"E-Ee, it has." Nami smiled and hugged her back.

"N-Nami-san.."

"Hm?" Nami looked up and saw Sanji shaking. He was tightly holding on to the edge of his seat, as if stopping himself from moving forward. "What is it, Sanji-kun?"

Vivi gasped when she saw blood running down his nose. She slapped him across the face, sending him flying above Zoro and Franky. Zoro snickered at her reaction. Typical girlfriend reaction that you don't normally get from Vivi.

"Whats wrong with him?" asked Nami.

"I don't know," replied Vivi. "He hasn't told us where he's been for the past two years. Whenever I do ask him, he just starts screaming and looking around him as if something was coming after him."

"With all of us here, that only leaves two people," said Franky.

"Robin-san, and..."

"Luffy," Nami finished for her.

Usopp noticed some of the guests moving in and taking their seats. "We should probably find our seats. It looks like the wedding is about to start."

As most of the Straw Hats were taking their seats, two of them were looking around the crowd. Zoro searched through the rows for a certain someone, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Nami searched for one specific face, but his recognizable straw hat was no where among the hundreds of faces. She then felt a tug on the side of her dress. She looked down and saw Zoro shaking his head. They aren't coming. She sighed and sat down. Robin's not here, nor is their captain.

Over half a mile away, standing on the pier, two pairs of eyes watched from afar as the wedding began. One of them leaned on the railing and smiled at the sight of the bride at the start of the long aisle.

"Are you sure you don't want to go down there? Its your own crew after all, and I want to meet them."

"I'll probably just ruin the atmosphere down there. I want my parents to have a nice wedding with no interruptions."

"You ever thought that the wedding might be ten times better with their missing son a part of it?"

"Maybe, but I have a feeling they already know I'm here."

-x-x-

The wedding went by as beautiful as Nami expected. Makino looked beautiful in her wedding dress. Shanks looked as dashing as ever. Benn, Shanks' best man and old vice captain of his crew, had a few - or a lot - of gray hair that really defined his age, but he looked just as dashing as his captain. Nojiko, Makino's maid of honor, stood by her side through the whole time.

From what Nami's heard, ever since Ace and Nojiko graduated from college, her sister has been spending a lot of time at their house. Nojiko raised a lot of money due to living alone and managed to save enough for when her baby sister will be coming back.

The Straw Hats sat around one huge table - especially reserved for them - at the reception just after the wedding. It was taken place in a large beautiful tent located just down the beach. Everyone was up eating, dancing, and socializing, while two people sat at the table watching everyone enjoy themselves.

"Are you really not going to go dance?" asked Nami.

"I don't dance," replied Zoro.

"If Robin was here, would you?"

"...That's different."

"Where _is_ Robin?"

"Last time I heard, she was out of the country. Only she and Luffy ever left the country."

"I see."

Zoro sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I'm going for the food. Want anything?" Nami shook her head. Zoro sighed again. "Don't be so depressed. Luffy doesn't have to show up today. We all know you guys broke it off, but you can still get back together."

"Its harder than you think," Nami muttered to herself. She turned around and already saw Zoro leaving for the food table. Nami sighed and slumped back in her seat. She had to admit, she never thought she'd be depressed over Luffy before she got here.

Zoro scanned through the table at all the different varieties of food. He wasn't hungry before, but just by looking at the food, he was getting famished. The first thing that caught his attention was the last glass of wine. He reached for it, when a hand appeared, reaching for the exact same glass.

"Sorry," said Zoro. "I saw it first."

"Funny. I was just about to bring that to my boyfriend." Zoro paused. He recognized that feminine voice. He looked up. He was greeted by a long raven haired woman wearing a long purple and pink dress. Orange sunglasses covered her eyes, blocking his view of her blue eyes.

"Robin?"

"I'm glad I get to see you again, Zoro."

-x-

Nami looked up when she heard the clinking sound of glass. She saw Ace standing up on the stage, behind the microphone with a glass of wine in his hand. "If you could please take your seats. I'm about to start my speech."

With the bride and groom sitting at their own table at the center, the guests sat down at their tables and waited. Nami was caught off guard when Zoro sat down next to her, and another person sat down on his lap. From the corner of her eye, she saw a hint of long wavy black hair. She narrowed her eyes and gasped. "Robin!"

All the Straw Hats coming back were surprised at the sight of another nakama appearing after their long time apart.

"Robin-san!" Vivi ran around the table to give her old friend a big hug.

"Robin! Where have you been?" asked Chopper.

"My flight was a bit delayed. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to the wedding," explained Robin.

"As long as you're here is all I care about," said Zoro while rubbing her side. Nami's smile slowly disappeared. Zoro has been smiling ever since he came back to the table with Robin. It looks like they didn't break off their relationship either. With her back to the stage, she didn't care to turn around as Ace began his speech.

"Okay okay, uh... where do I begin?" said Ace. "Well, let me start by saying that Shanks.. was like a father to me.. a terrible one, but we all know how he is."

Ace's little joke earned a few chuckles from the audience.

"I'm just kidding. Mom, Dad, I'm really happy for you both and I couldn't ask for better parents. May you have a long and happy marriage. ALSO! If you have another child, be sure to name him after me. Daughter, son, my name works for both."

Makino laughed. Ace grinned as he got off the stage. Benn, Nojiko, Yasopp, and a few more of their closest friends got up on stage and said a few words to the new happily wedded couple. As Nami heard another set of footsteps climbing up to the stage, she heard gasps coming from the guests. She looked up and saw her crew looking pale, shocked, surprised, and anything else in that category.

"Oi, what is i-"

"Tou-chan, Kaa-chan..."

Nami's eyes widened.

"As the son of two amazing people, I couldn't be more proud to call myself your son. I'm really sorry for leaving you for the past two years. I'm back and I'm not going anywhere."

Nami turned her head slightly and saw tears in Makino's eyes. So, what Nami's hearing wasn't just in her head.

"I couldn't ask for better parents. I mean, you did a pretty good job with me, not so much with Ace."

"OI!"

"Shishishi! I just want to say thank you. Also, I wanted to make another announcement. Two years..." Nami spun around so she can finally see his face, but his straw hat blocked the view of his face. "For two years, we were separated and each of us struggled hard into becoming the very people we are today. But because of that, you all had to go along with my selfish decision for the past two years and for that thank you. But we're finally together again, and we're ready!"

Nami gasped when he finally lifted his head, revealing his face. Chopper and Brook were in tears. Usopp and Franky were up and screaming. Zoro and Sanji fist pumped at the captain's words.

"THE STRAW HAT CREW IS BACK!"

* * *

**I apologize for the crappy... everything. I had to rush into this to make sure I can upload this today. There might be some changes in this in the future where I improve some parts in this. Also, it will take some time until the next chapter is up. School just started and my AP class is already handing out so many homework. So, please be patient with me.**

**And sorry the speeches were so crappy. As you can tell, I'm not very good with speeches.**


	2. Chapter 2

Luffy shielded his eyes from the light with his straw hat as he descended the stairs of the stage. He didn't quite say all he had to say, but this night isn't about him. This night belongs to his parents. He didn't want to ruin that. After his speech, the music began and the dancing continued. The dance floor immediately overflowed with people.

"Luffy!"

When Luffy reached the bottom of the stairs, he was greeted by a small crowd running towards him. He grinned when saw the faces of his crew running for him. He was embraced - more like tackled - by the eight pairs of arms of his crew, but his grin never left his face.

"Shishishi!"

"Luffy! I.. I didn't miss you at all!" cried Franky.

"We're finally together again!" Usopp cried.

"Welcome back, Luffy-san!" said Vivi. The smile on Luffy's face never faded. Smiling back at him is the crew whom he hasn't seen in two years. But there was one face missing in the crowd. He looked past his crew and saw that one person still sitting at the table. She looked back at them with a wanting looking on her face.

"Excuse me," murmured Luffy. As if they never parted, his crew understood and parted themselves, creating an open pathway just for him.

Nami felt confused when she saw the crew part ways. In the middle appeared Luffy, making way towards her. She bit her bottom lip as he got closer. She could feel her heart start to race. It took all her strength not to jump up and hug him and kiss him. They are no longer together. She could be doing those things to another girl's boyfriend for all she knew.

"Nami."

Nami looked up. None of his features have changed. The scar on his left cheek, his black orbs. His raven black hair seemed longer and from her angle, and he seemed taller. His neck was slightly thicker and his muscles have somewhat grown. Other than that, he still looked like the same Luffy she fell in love with.

Luffy stretched a hand out to her. Nami looked up at his face. She smiled when she saw his smile. She took his hand and stood up. A pair of arms intertwined around her, as she did the same to him. This warmth, she hasn't felt in so long. His touch still sent shivers down her spine. She missed it.

"I've missed you so much," murmured Nami. Luffy squeezed her.

"I'm sorry for leaving you."

"I-"

"Luffy!"

Nami was caught off by another girl's scream. Luffy broke away from the hug and turned around with a big smile on his face. The crew walked over, having the same expression on Nami's face, confusion. Nami's confusion grew when a girl appeared from the crowd. Its wasn't anyone she recognized. She had short blonde hair and her dress was short - _really_ short and revealed a lot of skin. This girl had a huge smile on her face when she spotted Luffy waving towards her. The heels of her high heels tapped the floor harshly as she got closer. The fact that Luffy was smiling the exact same way was making Nami's hair stand. When this mystery girl finally came over, she wrapped her arms around Luffy's arm and grinned widely. From that, Nami felt uncomfortable.

"Where did you disappear off to?" Luffy asked her.

"Sorry, I got lost when everyone started dancing again."

Usopp cleared his throat to get their attention. Luffy smiled and turned to face them.

"Sorry. Guys, this is Marguerite."

"Hi! Pleased to meet you. Luffy has told me so much about his amazing crew, I just had to come with him and meet you guys myself," said Marguerite.

"'Come with him?'" Chopper quoted.

"Marguerite and I met while I was out traveling with Rayleigh-ossan. She decided to travel with us for the rest of the trip. Now, she's moving here and I'm helping her look for a place to live."

Nami rubbed her arm as she took a step back. Robin noticed and went to comfort her friend. Unfortunately, Luffy didn't notice.

"So, you guys have been together the entire time you were away?" Vivi asked the one question that has been in everyone's mind.

"Pretty much," Luffy answered. "She's really strong and smart! She helped a lot with my training."

Everyone else in the crew narrowed their eyes to Nami who was now hiding herself in the back of the crew. Tears flooded the surface of her eyes, but they never came down. All of them seem to understand how she must be feeling, except for one certain person in the group.

-x-x-

From the table, Nami watched as Luffy reunited with his parents. Makino had the biggest smile on her face at finally reuniting with her long lost son. Shanks was giving him a noogie, for worrying his mother so much while he had tears flowing down his own cheeks. With his hair sticking up from Shanks' "greeting," Luffy introduced Marguerite to them. Makino had the same reaction Nami did, she noticed her revealing dress first and felt cautious about it. Shanks, on the other hand, felt unsure of what to say, so he just smiled and nodded.

Watching Nami from beside food table, Robin, Vivi, and Zoro couldn't help but watch.

"She's a desperate mikan," said Robin.

"What does he think he's doing?" asked Zoro. "Dump the one girl he's ever fallen in love with, leaves for two years, then magically shows up with another girl?"

"We're not even sure if they're dating yet," Robin defended.

"But Mr. Bushido has a point. How would you feel if another girl showed up with him?" asked Vivi. Robin didn't say a word. She knew she'd feel the same way Nami is feeling now.

"By the way, where the hell is idiot lovely?" asked Zoro. Vivi pursed her lips and pointed under the table. Robin lifted the cloth and she and Zoro leaned down. Rocking himself in ball form was Sanji, hiding under the table.

"Beautiful.. Goddess.. Women.. Vivi-chan good.. okama bad..."

"What is wrong with him?" asked Robin. Vivi only shrugged.

"He said something about Zeff sending him off to a horrible place."

"Leave him. Everyone's better off with him this way anyway," said Zoro. Vivi glared at him. Out of no where, Ace appeared from behind the food table.

"I heard what you guys were talking about, and I know how you feel," said Ace. "For as long as I've known Luffy, he's only ever had two girlfriends, Hancock and Nami. Considering the fact that he only ever loved Nami and always has, I'm surprised he's calm with the fact that he's practically rubbing this new girl all over Nami's face."

"So, you're saying you don't like her?" asked Vivi.

"Well, he's my brother. I can't just not support him, and I've gotta admit, she's pretty hot."

Ace earned a harsh slap to the arm by Vivi.

"I'm telling Nojiko," said Robin.

"Please don't."

-x-

The wedding ended with Makino and Shanks driving off and leaving for their honeymoon. All the guests left, aside from the Straw Hats who volunteered to stay and clean up. By then, all of the paparazzi have gone as well.

While folding the last tablecloth, Nami noticed Luffy walking towards her way. She knew, because there wasn't anyone else around. His face was serious, something she hasn't seen in a while.

"We need to talk." Nami felt her heart start to race. "Can you call everyone and meet me by the ocean?"

Disappointment was all Nami felt after hearing what Luffy had to say. Obviously, she expected something else to come out of his mouth, but it didn't. But either way, she couldn't just not obey his command. As her captain, he obviously had something important to say to the rest of the crew.

-x-

The Straw Hats gathered by the ocean where Luffy and Marguerite stood waiting. Because of them waiting together, Nami had an odd feeling about what Luffy has to say. The others, on the other hand, were curious.

"I have a surprise for all of you. So, I need you to go home and pack _everything_ you own and meet me in front of Grand Line Academy," said Luffy.

"WHAT?" Everyone was completely astonished. This completely came out of no where. Just like Luffy's big decision that affected everyone.

"W-What do you mean pack our stuff? What's going on?" asked Usopp.

"Are you trying to make us go on another trip or-" Franky started, but was interrupted.

"No! You've got it wrong," said Marguerite. "I'm sure whatever Luffy has will be a good a use to everyone."

"And how do _you_ know?" asked Zoro.

"I mean, this is you captain, right? Shouldn't you have more faith in him?"

The tension in the crew rose. After Luffy's actions at the hospital two years ago, they never seem to know what Luffy will do next. Another reason why this completely surprised them. Sure, Luffy has gotten them into a whole heap of trouble, but he always manages to get them out of it. This is Luffy after all.

"C-Can you at least tell us what's going on?" asked Vivi. All of this was starting to scare her, and not just her, but everyone else.

"If I did, then it wouldn't be as much fun," said Luffy. Nami sighed, then smiled. Just your average typical Luffy doing what he does best. She missed that side of him.

"_Trust me_. I promise, I won't scare you like I did last time."

That was all everyone had to go off of. No clues and no warning, all they have is to trust their captain and know he knows what he's doing.

-x-

Inside the Alabasta Inn.'s penthouse suite, Vivi and Robin packed Vivi's stuff together. It was hard considering Vivi's closet was practically the size of a bedroom.

"And I just got everything settled too," Vivi whined as she folded another blouse.

"Mine are still in my bag," said Robin.

"That's because you got here late."

"I'm sorry, but its not my fault."

Vivi sighed. "What is Luffy-san thinking? What is going on?"

"Which are you talking about? The surprise or Marguerite?"

"Both! You saw the sadness in Nami-san's eyes. I feel so terrible. How could he do that? Rub his new girlfriend right in front of Nami-san. If it were Sanji-san..."

"Calm down. We're not even sure if she _is_ his girlfriend, and Luffy's not the type of guy to do that."

"You never know." Just then, Cobra appeared at the doorway.

"Cobra."

"Papa, I'm surprised you haven't asked about all of this."

"Luffy-kun and I already talked this out."

Vivi blinked in surprise. "You and.. when?!"

"A day before you came back."

"Tell us! What's he planning?"

Cobra shrugged and shook his head. "I have no clue, but what ever it is, I'm sure you'll be safe."

"But I'm packing all of my stuff. I might not live here anymore."

Cobra smiled. He placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it lightly. "Vivi, the day you moved out to start college was the day I knew I raised a strong girl. That was the day I also knew that I you're a woman now, you too, Robin. Both of you left and started your future on your own. From that day on, I don't have control over the both of you anymore. You're old enough to handle yourselves."

"Cobra..."

Tears surfaced in Vivi's eyes. She hugged her father tight and cried.

"Papa!"

Robin chuckled and wiped a single tear that escaped her eye. "It looks like you were miscorrected on Vivi's side of that speech, Cobra."

Cobra smiled and rubbed the top of his daughter's head. "No, I'm sure I'm right."

-x-

Chopper screamed for his life as he ran from his room to the front door. Pursuing after him with a sword and gun was his crazy grandmother.

"WAIT, YOU SHITTY BRAT! I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU! YOU'RE STAYING HERE!" yelled Chopper's grandmother, Doctorine.

"NO! I'M OLD ENOUGH TO DO WHATEVER I WANT NOW!"

"GET BACK HERE!"

"NOO!"

As soon as Chopper reached the front door, he didn't hesitate to stop. It was odd. When he left for college, his grandmother never acted this crazy about him attending college, which was in another city. Whatever Luffy's case is with this whole surprise, Chopper was happy. As long as he's with Luffy, he knew he'll be fine. That's why he got so excited and immediately started packing. When his grandmother found out, she got aggressive and started throwing objects at him and yelled for him not to leave, almost like he was never coming back.

-x-

Iceburg watched as his brother figure packed most of his stuff. Almost everything in Franky's large room was empty aside from his bed and desk.

"So, you're really going.." said Iceburg.

"Yea." Franky placed his duffel bags on his shoulder and pulled the handles on his rolling luggage. "I never expected to ever leave this place because of Tom-san.."

"You still blame yourself for the explosion? Even after Tom-san forgave you, even after I forgave you, you still blame yourself for what happened."

Franky looked at his bags. He remembered that day as if it was only yesterday. Tom-san, his foster father, died because of an accident he caused. Franky was only experimenting with the different chemicals and junk they had lying around in the garage. The next thing he knew, the garage exploded, burning and hurting Tom, Iceburg, and Franky. Out of all of them, Tom was the one who suffered the most. Because of the explosion, Iceburg has blamed Franky for all that has happened to them.

"Like you haven't made it clear that it was all my fault."

"It's been ten years. I remind you to make you grow stronger, to never make that mistake again, to live on and never forget that day."

"You make it sound like I'm never coming back."

-x-

"Leaving the place and becoming a man, huh?" Yasopp asked his son.

"What makes you think I'm leaving this place?" Usopp focused on packing his clothes as he talked with his father.

"So, Luffy hasn't told you yet? Bummer."

"Told us what? What are you talking about?"

"Sorry, kid. You'll find out when your captain tells ya. By the way, are you really going to stuff everything you have into one big bag?" Yasopp nodded to Usopp's oversized backpack which wouldn't probably fit through the door.

-x-

"Nojiko, why do I have a feeling you know something about Luffy's secret?"

Nojiko only smiled innocently. She has been having mixed moods ever since Nami told her what Luffy said. She happily helped her pack, but felt depressed as soon as they finished. Right now, Nami stood on their front porch along with all of her belongings. Not knowing what Luffy has in store for them, she wasn't sure whether to say goodbye to her sister or not.

"If you ever need me, you know where to find me," said Nojiko.

"Is this goodbye?" asked Nami.

"I wouldn't say that." Nojiko smiled and hugged her little sister. "I know you've only been here for a day, but it was fun."

Nami hesitated, then returned the hug. "Tell me what's happening."

Nojiko pulled away. She smiled and shook her head. "You'll find out when Luffy tells you. I'll be right here when you need me."

Nami pulled Nojiko in for another hug. Their goodbye before Nami left for college was similar to this. Did this mean she won't see her sister for another while? At least this time, she has her friends with her.

"Nami!"

Nami turned around and saw Vivi, Robin, and Sanji waving to her from the fence. Nami placed the straps of her bags on her shoulders. She turned back to her sister and smiled.

"I'll be going then."

"Take care of yourself, okay?"

Nami nodded. She pulled the handles of her rolling luggages and headed to where her friends were. Nojiko watched them until they made a turn, disappearing from her view. She sighed sadly and closed the front door.

"Sanji-kun, why are you wearing sunglasses when its dark out?" asked Nami. It was the first thing she noticed and she couldn't help but ask. Sanji shook his head rapidly.

"Tony-kun says its therapy," Vivi explained.

"Therapy? For what?"

"Sanji has been having a lot of nosebleeds lately. All due to seeing any beautiful women passing by," said Robin.

"It's really bad," said Vivi. "Its a lot worst than when he was a pervert back then. The glasses are so he won't see much at night. I feel bad."

"Wow, I'm surprised you haven't ended it yet," said Nami.

"I can't leave him behind," said Vivi with a pout. Nami cocked an eyebrow and turned to Robin. Robin chuckled and shrugged.

When they got to the street leading to the school was when they saw that everyone had already gathered. Even Ace was waiting along with everyone. Luffy and Marguerite sat together on a small brick wall holding the plants. Both of them had their luggages by their sides.

Robin picked up her speed and greeted Zoro with a hug. That fact that they haven't seen each other nor talked to one another in two years, Nami wouldn't be surprised if they showed a little more PDA than they did before.

"Yosh, everyone's here," said Luffy. He stood up and placed his backpack over his shoulders and reached for the handles of his other bags. "Follow me."

"Mind telling us where we're going?" asked Franky.

"Yea, Luffy!" Chopper ran to catch up to his captain in the front. "My grandma almost killed me!"

"And can you tell me why my father is fine with Robin and I leaving?" asked Vivi.

"Same here. My dad said you and him had a talk days before I got here," said Usopp.

"Well, I had to get permission. There was no way I was going to do this without letting everyone know," explained Luffy.

"Can you tell us what's going on already?" asked Zoro.

"Do you know, Marguerite-san?" asked Brook. Marguerite shook her head.

"We're on the same level here."

Zoro exhaled deeply then noticed Sanji hasn't said a word all night. He chuckled.

"What's wrong, Curly Brow? Cat caught your tongue?"

A vein appeared on Sanji's head. Vivi felt the hand holding his being squeezed.

"I have nothing to say," was all Sanji said.

Vivi pursed her lips. "What happened to you the past two years, Sanji-san?"

"Its best you don't know."

Nami smiled when Ace, Franky, and Zoro started teasing the miserable cook. She missed this about her crew. Then, she felt as though she was being watched. She faced the front and saw Marguerite turn away from her at the last second. This was making Nami feel more awkward that it should.

No one was out and it was late at night. They walked for another ten minutes until they reached the gate of a large house. Vivi ran up to the gate and gazed at it.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," said Vivi. The house was three stories high and designed into a traditional japanese home. It was almost bigger than their beach house. A driveway started from the gate and surrounded the entire house. There was a large lake to its right and the gardening was done beautifully.

"It's really pretty. I never knew this was here in the neighborhood," said Chopper. The house wasn't that far from the academy, and not once has he or anyone from the crew ever seen this here.

"It's new," said Franky.

"How do you know?" asked Zoro.

"The paint, the garden, its all new. I heard some millionaire bought the lot and paid for a customizable mansion for his family over a month ago."

"Thousand Sunny, huh?" Sanji read the name of the mansion.

"I'd want to live in a place like that," said Nami.

"We are!"

Everyone's eyes grew wide and they turned to Luffy and stared at him like he was crazy. "WHAT?"

"Huh? Didn't you hear me? I said, we're all going to live here together!"

"EEEHHHH?"

* * *

**I'm going to try something I haven't done in GLA and thats give the other Straw Hats more spotlight. I only ****focused on Luffy&Nami with a bit of Zoro&Robin and Sanji&Vivi. The other characters are important too!**

**Also, thank you for all of your reviews on the last chapter. You guys were so excited when the first chapter came out and your comments literally brought a smile to my face. I'm terribly sorry on going on break right after posting the last chapter, but I have a lot in store for you guys. This will be just like Grand Line Academy with 40 chapters or more. The chapters will be a lot longer too so its going to take me some time. **

**Also, let me point out that the Straw Hats attended two years of college during those two years if you haven't already known. They got stronger and smarter individually and they got back together to achieve the goal they've been all aiming for. **


	3. Chapter 3

The gates opened, thanks to Luffy pressing a certain code on the side of the gate. Luffy walked ahead, but stopped and turned around. He tilted his head to the side when he saw the shocked faces of his crew staring up at the house.

"What's wrong?" asked Luffy.

"W-What's... This is..." Sanji's voice trailed off.

"How could you afford all this?" asked Robin.

"Oh, remember that jumbo prize money I won from the tournament? Well, I didn't spend any of it during my training-"

"None of it?" asked Usopp.

"Nope. I've been planning for us to live together ever since I heard I was qualified for Nationals. So, I saved it this whole time and spent it all on that house."

Nami gasped.

_"What's the reward for the winner?" asked Nami._

_"Four hundred million belis."_

_"Have you thought about what you're going to do with it when you win?"_

_"I thought of something."_

_"What is it?"_

_"It's a secret. You'll know when I win."_

_She turned and faced him. "That's a lot of money, and you already figured out what you're going to do with it? How selfish."_

_He chuckled. "Its something that can be useful for all of us."_

_She eyed him, but he only smiled innocently._

She remembered having that conversation with him back when they stayed at Vivi's beach house, and that was when they first started dating. All this time, and for the past two years, he's always been thinking about them.

"Was this mansion always here?" asked Robin.

"There used to be a construction site here," Franky explained. "But they never finished it. I heard some millionaire bought the lot and designed their own house here. At first, I thought it was some celebrity, but now..."

Luffy grinned. He was proud of what he has done. A large, beautiful landscape with various different flowers were planted in some areas of the front yard. Pastel colored Japanese lanterns were hung around the border edges of the place. Pathway lights were planted on sides of the driveway, leading up to the house. There was a small gazebo in the middle of the garden to their left. How romantic of Luffy to come up with such a thing.

"I-Is this really okay? I-I mean..." Usopp's voice trailed off. Zoro shrugged his shoulders and followed his captain's footsteps.

"Its better than my place," said Zoro. He smiled and slapped Luffy in the back. Brook agreed and followed. Since both of them use to live in the same apartment building, moving into a mansion was a huge step up.

"It'll feel nice living in a mansion again," said Brook.

Chopper didn't see the downside to this and followed them. As long as they were together, he didn't care where he would live. Vivi and Robin, both of which are used to living in the luxury life, stepped forward and accepted their captain's decision. Whether they would live in a tiny house or a giant mansion, they'd accept Luffy's decisions no matter what. Marguerite followed the girls, accepting her friend's decision.

Sanji was incredibly ecstatic over the idea of living together. One, he can be away from Zeff and all those "shitty bastards" he grew up with, and two, he can be with Vivi forever - without any okamas around. Usopp took this as sign of moving forward and growing up, so he greatly accepted.

"I still can't believe you actually designed this," Ace complimented. "I'm really impressed. Hey, is there a room for me too?"

"Like hell," said Luffy.

Franky looked down at his hands. These hands that destroyed his garage and killed his father figure. These hands that has made him hate himself for the past years. The odds of something like that happening again...

"Franky," Luffy called out. Franky looked up. Hesitation, regret and doubt was written all over his face. "What happened last time.. won't happen again."

"...How do you know?"

"Because you're stronger now, aren't you?"

There it was. Something he failed to see, yet his captain saw it clearly. He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. He smirked and looked up at Luffy.

"You've gotten smarter, haven't you?"

"Huh? Did I? Shishishi!"

Nami looked down the road to where they just walked from. Grand Line Academy was just down the corner. It was the place where they met, grew, laughed, cried, and did everything together. It was the place where she met Luffy and fell in love with him. It was also the place where she got to live for the first time in her life. Was this a good thing? Moving forward while their past was just down the road?

"Nami.."

Nami looked up and saw her friends waiting for her past the gate. Instead of looking at the downside to all of this, she looked at the positive. She got to live in a place where she can be with the people she loves everyday. No more goodbyes and no more lonely nights preparing dinner for Nojiko and herself. She'll miss her old life, but she was looking forward to this new one she was suddenly given.

-x-

Although it had double doors, Luffy only needed to open one due to its large size. He stepped aside and let his crew walk in first. As they stepped into the living room, all of them gazed in amazement. The ceiling was high and the decor was beautifully done inside and out. In some ways, if you looked closely, the place looked a bit similar to the beach house they now currently own, but all in all it was still unique.

One large stairway descended from the wall to their left. A large opening to the kitchen was at the end of it. There was a small flight of stairs just in front of them that led to the couches and the large flatscreen that was stuck on the wall above the fireplace. Nami looked up and noticed how beautiful the chandelier hung from above them. The walls were painted tan and the floor they were standing on was made of granite tiles, except for the living room which had a baby blue carpet.

"This is beautiful," said Vivi.

"The hallway on the right leads to a few bedrooms and bathrooms," Luffy started to explain. "There's an aquarium room behind the door next to the kitchen. We should all have lunch in there one time. That hallway just ahead of us leads to another set of rooms, a game room, a small theater, and it leads to the backyard-"

Just before he could continue, everyone separated, in hopes of finding the perfect room to their liking. All that were left were Luffy, Marguerite, and Ace.

"Are you sure you don't have an extra room for me?" asked Ace.

"Dude, you're twenty-two now. Go move out on your own," replied Luffy. "Better yet, go move in with Nojiko."

"But who's going to manage the bar when Mom's not around? Anyway, Mom's been paying me triple lately. I get a free stay and earn money along the way, why would I want to lose that?"

Luffy rolled his eyes. He pretty much solved his own problem.

"Um, Luffy, you said I could stay at your place remember? Is this where we'll be staying from now on?" asked Marguerite.

"Yeah, and since you're still finding a real place to stay, you can sleep in my room. Don't tell anyone, but its the largest room in the house," Luffy whispered the last part. "Come on!"

Luffy grabbed her wrist and dragged her up the stairs. The whole time, Ace eyed the two. There were hints that showed they could possibly be dating, then again, they acted as though they were just friends. Luffy made it perfectly clear that Marguerite won't be staying with them for long, and there was no sign that she has joined the crew. There is no telling what is going on in Luffy's head.

-x-

Nami walked through the halls, uncaring of whether she gets the perfect room or not. To be honest, she didn't care at all, though she'd like to have a nice room with a view. Right now, she's too busy exploring this beautiful house Luffy built. As she passed by the bedrooms downstairs, she could see some of her friends already unpacking their stuff.

Each bedroom only had a single bed and a large closet. Obviously, Luffy didn't plan on who would stay in each room. The kitchen was large with a big oven and stove, and a long table near the entrance that sat eight people. She knew Sanji will love this. Nami walked around the living room and entered another hallway. Two bedrooms sat across from each other and she could see Usopp and Chopper unpacking their stuff inside each one. That concludes all the occupied bedrooms downstairs. Looks like the downstairs bedrooms will be taken by Usopp, Chopper, Franky and Brook with a few extra rooms left vacant. Everyone else must be upstairs.

When Nami reached the top step of the stairs, she was surprised to see a large loft taking up most of the second level. Windows were set up everywhere, allowing a lot of light to shine in when the sun comes out. Just like the living room below, the loft was already set up with furniture and a giant TV. There was a small flight of stairs to the side that led to another upper level. It was a small hallway with two bedrooms right next to each other and another door at the end which she assumed was the bathroom. A black, steel railing bordered the hallway and the stairs so no one could fall. In the loft, there were four bedrooms spread out in different sides.

She was even more surprised to see the rest of her crew all standing in the middle of the loft. Everyone had serious expressions, and the atmosphere looked tense. Sanji's eyes brightened a little when he saw her.

"Oh, good, Nami-san's here."

"What's going on?" Nami asked. She dragged her luggage behind her as she regrouped with the others.

"We're still trying to decide who gets which room," said Robin.

"Why can't I share a room with Vivi-chan?" Sanji asked for the second time apparently.

"Like I already said, I don't want any funny noises coming from both of you!" Zoro explained. Vivi blushed.

"It's not like we'd actually do it when you guys are around," Vivi muttered.

"I don't care which rooms you get, but those two rooms upstairs are already reserved," said Luffy. There were no objections. Luffy designed this place himself, it was obvious he should get a pick on to which room or _rooms_ he wanted.

Assuming the second room Luffy wanted must be for Marguerite, Nami remained quiet.

"Where's Marguerite-chan going to sleep?" asked Sanji.

"In my room." Nami blinked in surprise.

"Why the hell does she get to sleep with you? What about-" Vivi nudged him before he could finish.

"Marguerite's not staying for long."

"Then who's the other room for?" asked Vivi. Nami noticed Luffy feeling a bit bashful. He slowly looked up and met her eyes.

"It's... for Nami."

* * *

**Okay, soo... I'm making my chapters a bit shorter again. These longer chapters are taking waay to long to post and if this keeps up, I might lose interests from some of you. The only reason I chose to write longer chapters is because I didn't want to reach over 100 chapters, but now, I just don't care. I could have over 100+ chapters and I wouldn't care. I'm fine with it, and you guys must be too.**

**I had to cut a few arcs in GLA in order for it to fit 50 chapters, but now I can add everything I took out. It won't be the same as the high school life in GLA, but this should be interesting (;**


	4. Chapter 4

Nami stepped in what was said to be her room. She dropped her bags in astonishment. She was amazed by the size, but she was even more amazed at the fact that it was already decorated. The walls were painted a soft orange color aside from one wall behind her bed where an ocean was painted.

She had a queen sized bed in the center of that wall. Double doors were located on the wall across from her and she could see it led to a balcony. A large dresser beside that wall in front of the bed and a flat screen TV sat on top of it. A love seat couch sat in front of her bed, facing the TV. Bookshelves fit the entire wall on each side of the dresser. There was no door to the bathroom that was right on the same wall to her left. There was a door to the right of her bed, which she assumed was her closet. Unlike the other rooms, this room had everything she needed. She had to admit, the giant TV was a bit over the top.

Nami walked towards her balcony and stepped outside. The night was breezy and it was a cloudless night. The balcony faced the front of the house, so she got a good view of everything. She could see a beautiful view of part of the city and she could almost see the beach from here. She didn't have anything like this back at her old home. Just thinking about it, she really missed Nojiko and the home they shared together. She remembered living there with Bellemere and growing up in Arlong's hands. She couldn't forget it all.

She turned to her right and saw another balcony right next to hers. It must be connected to Luffy's room. She heard footsteps coming from her room behind her. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. His shadow made it perfectly clear.

"You reserved this for me?" murmured Nami.

"Is that bad?"

"I just want to know, why?"

"I just wanted you next to me, even though we're not dating anymore." Luffy looked down sheepishly. "I've been going crazy for the past two years, wondering if you were okay, if you were lonely, if you still thought about me. I'm being selfish, but you need to know that you still mean a lot to me."

Nami bit her bottom lip. "What about Marguerite?"

"What about her?"

"You're dating," Nami said bluntly.

"Dat - We're not dating! We never were! She's just a friend."

"A friend that would let her stay in his room when I'm right here?" Nami regretted raising her voice, but she had to make her point. This was too much for her and she didn't know how much longer she could handle it. "You brought home another girl while I've been sitting here thinking about all the possible case scenarios you've had with her! Don't you know how much that hurts me?"

Nami was nearly thrown off her feet when Luffy suddenly embraced her in a tight hug. She felt her spine tingle again, and for some reason, that has been happening a lot lately whenever she touches him. Due to her position, she couldn't break free, but he only hugged her tighter.

"I've been hurting you this whole time and I never even realized it. What kind of man am I if I can't even realize a girl's pain. Nothing went on between her and I. If anything did, I wouldn't be rubbing her in your face. I'm not that kind of person, you know that."

Nami pulled away from the embrace and looked him straight in the eyes.

"How'd you meet her?"

"Rayleigh and I have been touring different countries. I've been learning different fighting techniques and more advanced stuff for school. We found her during our stop in Germany over a year ago. She lived on her own and she was at the top of her class in a dojo. She'd train with me and we got close. I told her about you guys and apparently I inspired her. She wanted to be a part of group as well, so we brought her along. She's just looking for a crew and a place to stay. I'm having her stay in my room because she's not staying long."

Nami had her lips pursed the whole time. "Why won't you let her stay in one of the guest rooms? There's a bunch of vacant rooms downstairs."

"I'm still thinking of what I'm going to do with those rooms. I'm leaving it alone for now until I get a few opinions from Franky, Robin and Usopp."

Nami bit her bottom lip. She didn't know what to say. He's grown, and it was shown through his explanation. Although they were close, there was no sign of any romantic affection between the two of them. Nami sighed. She felt guilty for even suspecting him, but could you really blame her?

"I believe you."

Luffy grinned, but it immediately disappeared when he looked away and coughed.

"Uhm, now that that's cleared up... do you want to pick up where we left off two years ago?"

Nami hesitated as she looked away from his eyes. As much as she wanted to be by his side again, she didn't want to end up getting hurt again. She turned around and faced the front of the balcony so her back faced him.

"...I think we should wait."

Luffy reached out to grab her, until he grew hesitant. His arm fell to his side.

"I've lost your trust, haven't I?"

Nami remained silent. Luffy sighed, but smirked.

"Fine." Nami turned around, stunned by his response.

"Huh?"

"I'll make it up to you. I'll win you back again. I'll make you fall in love with me again before you know it."

Nami saw the enthusiasm and determination in his eyes. Even though she just rejected him, he still loved her.

_There isn't anyone who means more to me than you do._

From the corner of her eye, she saw the lights in the loft turn off.

"Luffy, everyone's going to sleep. Let's go to bed," Marguerite called from the loft below.

"Damn you, Luffy!" Sanji yelled from his room.

Nami looked back up at Luffy and noticed he hasn't stopped staring at her. She felt flustered and her cheeks grew warm. The gap between them seemed somewhat smaller than it usually was. Luffy chose to close that gap by leaning in and planting a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Goodnight, Nami."

Nami felt like she was burning. Luffy smirked at her before leaving her room. Nami turned around and faced the view of the city. She placed a hand on the spot that tickled her most. She could still feel those lips on her cheek. Soft, moist, and gentle.

She smiled and chuckled to herself.

"Baka."

-x-x-

The next morning, everyone was scattered around the kitchen and living room while Sanji prepared breakfast. Nami was the last to walk in when she immediately caught the eyes of Luffy staring at her from the end of the table. She didn't know what to say, but thankfully Vivi popped out of no where and jumped on her.

"Good morning, Nami-san! I never thought I'd get the chance to see you this early in the morning," Vivi said cheerfully. Nami agreed. Everyone seemed to be liking the idea of living together. It was like they were closer than ever. It was like those two years apart never happened.

"Alright, breakfast is served," said Sanji as he placed all the dishes on the long table. "Get whatever you can before Luffy does."

Everyone took their seats around the table. Some had to sit at the bar area for there was no room at the table.

"So," Usopp swallowed before continuing. "What are we going to do for the next three days? Classes don't start until then."

"We can go furniture shopping," suggested Robin. "Some of us still lack a few necessities."

"She's right," said Vivi. "Then again, we don't really have any other transportation other than Zoro's bike."

"Motorcycle," Zoro corrected.

"What's the difference?"

"'Bike' makes me sound like a child." Vivi rolled her eyes.

"We'll worry about that tomorrow," Luffy said with a full mouth. He swallowed it all and grinned. "I just want to spend the day with you guys."

In the end, the crew decided to spend their time doing what ever they wanted. It was a cold day, but that didn't stop the boys. Luffy, Usopp, Brook and Chopper were messing around in the pool outside. Zoro and Sanji were competing with one another on every game in the game room. Franky disappeared after saying he had something important he had to do.

The girls on the other hand, stayed inside in the living room where it was warm.

Vivi couldn't concentrate on the TV due to the guys' loud yells outside.

"How could they run around naked while its below fifty-five degrees outside," said Vivi.

"Makes me crave for some hot chocolate." Robin got up and winked at Vivi.

"Oh! Me too!" Vivi followed Robin to the kitchen, leaving behind Marguerite and Nami alone. It was an awkward thirty seconds of silence until Marguerite spoke up first.

"So, you're the famous Nami, huh?" Marguerite eyed her.

"'Famous?'"

Marguerite smiled. "Luffy talked about you all the time, almost everyday. He'd always stare at the locket you gave him before he'd go to sleep and before he'd go training. You were always on his mind. I've always wanted to meet you."

Nami blushed. "I'm sure it got annoying, didn't it? He didn't say anything bad, did he?"

"No! Of course not! I really admired you. I never had anyone love me that much in my life. You really affected him... I'm not sure if its in a good way or in a bad way though."

Nami laughed. Her reaction surprised even herself. She never thought she'd be having this kind of conversation with her.

"Yeah, sometimes I worry about that too. He still acts like a little kid."

"Can't argue there."

"So, how was training with him? Has he improved a lot?"

Marguerite nodded. "Oh yeah. Even Rayleigh-san was surprised by how much he's grown. When we first started, we were somewhat on equal level."

"Really? You were as strong as Luffy?" Nami couldn't imagine this slim and tiny person having the same monstrous strength as Luffy.

Marguerite smiled triumphantly. "We were on equal grounds, in academics too, until he learned new methods and new techniques. His academics has improved a lot as well. He was really determined. No matter what, he never gave up. I wonder why."

Nami smiled. She too would like to know what was going through Luffy's head during his training. What was he thinking about during his time away? What did he see? Who did he meet other than Marguerite. Did he fall in love?

Nami paused. That last question just suddenly popped into her head. The reason probably being that she was talking to Marguerite, the one person that got to get close to Luffy while she wasn't around.

"What's wrong?" asked Marguerite. "You suddenly look scared."

"Its... Uhm, I just want to know one thing. Its been bugging me since last night."

"What is it?"

"Did you ever had any... romantic feelings.. for Luffy?"

Marguerite looked away. Nami knew that look. In other cases, she didn't want to know the truth. She would live off a whole lot better if she didn't know. But she had to make this whole rumor come to clear.

"At some point, I did." Nami bit her bottom lip. "Those feelings grew as I got to know him more. But it was _you_ that was on his mind 24/7. He never even considered me, and I knew I would never have a chance with him. I gave up after a while. It took some time, and it hurt, but I'm over it now, so don't worry."

"...Does it hurt now?"

Marguerite smiled lightly. "You don't have to worry about me. You should worry more about _your_ relationship. I heard you turned him down last night?"

"I just wasn't ready to take that step forward again."

"I see, but you better be careful. There are a lot of women out there who are willing to go out with a guy like him."

Nami's eyes widened. "You're not-"

"I didn't mean me. But if he can easily charm girls like what he did with you and me, you shouldn't be surprised if another girl shows up in his life. Consider that."

* * *

**In GLA, I really rushed into LuffyxNami's relationship without any character development. I'm going to do my best to make it up here. **

**It had to take me half an hour to write 1000 words =u=**

**Thankfully I wrote quite a lot in my precalculus class the past week. For some reason, I do my best thinking in my math class. It worked last year.**


	5. Chapter 5

Nami bit her bottom lip as she thought about what Marguerite said. She had a point and she never considered it last night when she rejected him. Sure he still had his eyes set out on her, but that didn't mean that he's not free to date other women. Furthermore, they're going to New World University soon. That building is similar to Grand Line Academy, but a whole lot bigger, meaning there were will be more students and more beautiful women out there.

Luffy came running in from the backyard with a big smile on his face. That smile fell when he saw Nami and Marguerite on the same couch and so close to one another. They were talking, but they were laughing as well. This could be a good sign. They could be getting closer and Nami could be more comfortable with Marguerite around. All the tension between could just disappear. Because of this, Luffy smiled.

Nami looked up and gasped. Marguerite quickly turned around, but only saw Luffy standing behind the couch across from them. Luffy had the same reaction as her and spun around to see what caused Nami's reaction. He turned back around and eyed her.

"What is it?" asked Luffy.

"What's wrong, Nami?" asked Marguerite.

Nami shook her head and cleared her mind. "Its nothing."

Just then, Sanji came walking in from the arcade room.

"Where's Zoro?" asked Luffy.

"I don't know. Probably lost? Where's Vivi?"

"She and Chopper went to the gazebo out front."

"WHAT? What is that brat doing at the gazebo with my girlfriend?" Sanji stomped out of the front door in hopes to have a word with his youngest friend.

-x-x-

"You didn't have to scare him you know," Vivi scolded her boyfriend. Sanji smiled nervously while rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't worry, he saw it coming."

Vivi rolled her eyes. Her eyes landed on Sanji's pouting face and she couldn't help but smile. She reached up and gently rubbed his new goatee.

"You look older," stated Vivi.

"It's been two years. I though you'd like it," Sanji teased.

"Well, it makes you look more french, thats for sure."

"Do you like french guys?"

"I do."

"Should I go french?"

Vivi giggled and lightly pushed him away. "I like you better this way."

From the mansion, Chopper and Luffy couldn't help but stare at the lovey-dovey couple from Luffy's balcony.

"Baka Sanji," muttered Chopper with a pout. Luffy smiled at his cute expression and patted his back. Although he was older, Chopper was still the youngest and cutest in their little family.

"Don't worry about it. That's just Sanji's way of saying he wants to be alone with Vivi."

"By punching me?" Chopper pointed to his tomato red bump on his head. Luffy laughed and rubbed his head. Although time has passed, his little doctor hasn't changed one bit. Luffy leaned down and whispered into his ear.

"Want to go steal some candy from the pantry?"

"Yeah!" Chopper's eyes brightened at the sound of "candy."

"Great, go tell Usopp and he'll help us pick the lock."

"Okay!"

Luffy smiled and watched as Chopper scurried out of his room. He stuffed his hands into the pockets of his faded black skinny jeans. He noticed the curtains move with the breeze from her room. He could hear the sound of the water stopping from her shower. He never realized just how close their rooms were to each other. Luffy smiled slightly and approached her balcony.

Ten minutes later, Nami stepped out onto her balcony wearing only a robe. It was still bright and early and it was a cloudless day. The sky was as blue as ever, and the garden was... She looked down at the bars of the balcony when something bright and yellow caught her eye. She crouched down and lightly touched the sunflower that was wrapped around a bar of her balcony. She smiled and untangled it. She was about to stand up when she realized she was facing Luffy's balcony.

She was startled when she heard footsteps climbing up the steps to the third floor followed by his and Chopper's laughs. She quickly walked back to her room and closed the doors. She lightly twisted the flower with her thumb and index finger. A small smile slowly grew and she tried to hide it with the flower.

-x-x-x-

"What's this about, Franky?" asked Zoro. "Robin and I are going out."

"Well, since school starts tomorrow, I have a surprise for all of you," said Franky.

"Surprise?" Luffy perked up. Franky smirked at his expected reaction.

"Follow me."

Luffy and Chopper leaped out of their seats and followed him towards the backyard. The rest of the crew only followed out of curiosity. Franky was the mechanics one in the group. Either his surprises were surprising or destructive.

"What do you think it is?" murmured Vivi.

"Hopefully its something that won't drive away like last time," replied Zoro. Usopp laughed.

"I remember that," said Usopp. "When he tried to fix your car that Luffy magically sliced in half, Franky ended up making it worse."

"Hm? I never heard about this," said Brook.

"That's right! You didn't join yet! Luffy took Zoro's car and drove it to Nami's house for their date."

"Out of no where he got distracted and got my car sliced in two!" Zoro finished for him. "I took it to Franky to get it fixed. When he revealed the new model, it drove away on its own."

"That was when I didn't know what I was doing!" Franky defended. "I invented your bike, didn't I? When was that last time a cop actually caught you?"

"Hai hai, just show us your surprise, Franky," said Robin.

"Surprise! Surprise!" Chopper chanted. Franky led them out of the house, into the backyard where a long separate garage stood in front of the brick wall. There were five garage doors that could fit ten cars, stretching it out a long way. It took up a lot of space, but there was a huge and long drive way the stretched to the gate at the front.

"Wait.. did you build us new cars?" asked Usopp.

"Really?" asked Chopper and Luffy simultaneously, both of which had sparkles covering his eyes. Franky smirked and lifted his sunglasses above his head.

"I've been working on these over the two years. We'll start from the beginning. Zoro obviously already has his bike-"

"Motorcycle," Zoro corrected.

"_Anyway,_ I made another bike." Franky took out a remote from his pocket. It had five buttons, in other words, the garage opener. He pressed down on the top button and the garage door nearest to them started to lift up. Inside, they could see Zoro's ducati on the left side of the garage. On the right sat a white electric scooter. It had a small brown pouch in front of the handles and there was an end of a rocket.

"I call it Shiro Mokuba I! Its a scooter than can go as fast as a race car and it seats two people," explained Franky.

"Who's it for?" asked Zoro.

"For Nami."

Nami was immediately surprised by the new gift. "Eh? Me?"

"It goes to at least a hundred and twenty miles per hour, and its steering is kind of difficult to handle, but I think you can manage."

"Y-You don't say," Nami was starting to get scared of the thing without even touching it. She had to admit, the scooter was beautifully done. The detailing and the construction was impressive. She hasn't seen any of Franky's works other than Zoro's motorcycle. "Thank you, Franky."

Marguerite nudged her with a smirk. "We can go shopping with this any day."

"Next!" chanted Usopp and Luffy. The crew walked towards the next door where Franky pressed down on the second button to open it. The garage revealed two cars. One of them was a white and yellow prius. It was mainly a soft yellow with white stripes along the entire car. The symbol was of an animated goat with light brown, curved horns.

The second car was navy blue. It had sharp teeth painted on the front bumper. A shark's fin was at the top and you could see the shark's eyes on its headlights. The number three was painted on the doors of the passenger and driver's doors.

"The yellow one is the Mini Merry. It seats four people. It's not as fast as the others unfortunately. I made it especially for Vivi and Robin."

"We get to share it?" asked Vivi. Robin smiled politely.

"Thank you, Franky."

"This is ours?" Vivi still couldn't overcome her shock. Robin chuckled at her hidden excitement.

"Shall we go for a test drive later?" asked Robin.

"Of course!"

"The second one is the Shark Submerge III. It seats four people. I modeled it after some pictures of sharks on the internet. This is a gift for the curly cook and Brook."

"Eh? Us too?" asked Brook. Sanji walked up to this new gift and ran his hand across the surface.

"You really went all out with this," said Sanji.

"Well, duh! You know me! I never do anything thats not flashy!" replied Franky.

"This is so cool! Shishishi!" Luffy knelt down and stared back at the Shark's eyes as if he was in a staring contest.

"Thanks, Franky," Sanji said with appreciation.

"Thank you so much, Franky-san!" Brook said with a low bow, indicating his gratitude for the mechanic. "I will never forget this day and this marvelous gift you've given us!"

Franky couldn't take it any longer. Tears were overflowing and he couldn't hide it. He covered his eyes with his large arms and balled like crazy.

"Y-You're too kind!" Franky cried.

"Let's move to the next one!" exclaimed Usopp.

"Next one!" Chopper repeated. Considering the people who hasn't received anything yet, they could already tell who's up next.

Franky wiped his nose. "Alright. This next one's for you two! Are you ready!"

Usopp and Chopper stood in front of the third garage in anticipation. Franky pressed the button. The two gasped when it revealed what was inside. First, there was a three-wheeled motorcycle with its back tires larger than the front. It was painted red, blue, and yellow with Franky's star and initial painted on the sides. It was larger than the other two bikes and it looks like only someone with Franky's size can fit in it. Anyone smaller would just look like a midget in that thing.

The second was a large tank-like car, almost like a hummer. The colors matched the huge bike, the only difference was the straw hat painted on top of the tank. Its tires were gray and monster-like. From that, Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy with sparkling with excitement.

"The first one is called the Kurosai FR-U IV! ...It's mine."

"Eh?" The long-nosed and the little doctor were taken back. They obviously thought both of them were theirs.

"That's expected. Who's big enough to fit that thing anyway," said Sanji.

"T-Then.. the other one.."

"I call it the Brachio Tank V! It seats up to five people. I made this especially for you two," Franky spoke to Usopp and Chopper. Their excitement grew to a whole other level. "You have to be careful, though. Its controls can be hard to manage."

"We don't care!" Usopp ran towards the driver's seat, where as Chopper jumped on it and gave it a huge hug.

"I'll treasure it forever!" yelled Chopper.

"Thank you, Franky!" Usopp yelled from the front seat.

"EEEEhhhh? Where's my car?" said Luffy. "Is it in the next garage?"

Luffy looked towards his crew, surprised to see glares staring back at him. He furrowed his brows and took a step back, afraid that their stares might hurt him.

"What?"

"Didn't we all agree to never let you near the driver's seat ever again?" asked Vivi.

"Why?"

"Have you forgotten what you did to my car?"

"...No?" Zoro was on the verge of attacking him if it weren't for Robin clutching his arm.

"If you want to go somewhere, take the bus," said Sanji. Marguerite bursted into laughter.

"Ehh? But I'm the captain! I deserve a king's transportation!"

"Then we'll rent you a bus."

Luffy pouted and crossed his arms like a little kid. Nami laughed at his reaction. Some things just never change.

* * *

**If you live in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! I'm really thankful to have you guys out there supporting and reading my stories (:**

**And be safe tomorrow or tonight! Its going to get crazy out there. lol**


	6. Chapter 6

Nami knocked on Vivi's bedroom door, but no one answered. She quietly tiptoed to Robin's room across the loft, and knocked again. She sighed in disappointment when no one answered again. She took a small nap that lasted an hour or two, and when she woke up, it was completely quiet. She was hoping to find someone to spend the rest of her day with. Just being alone was driving her crazy. When she reached the floor to her bedroom, she noticed Luffy's door open. She peeked in and gasped.

Startled by the gasp, Luffy spun around. His hair was dripping wet and his upper body was completely bare, showing his tan toned abs and his new scar. A towel hung over his shoulders and Nami could see the upper part of his blue boxers under his tan jeans.

"Nami!"

"U-Um..." Granted, she already saw him half naked when he was in his swim trunks just yesterday, but why was this situation _really_ awkward? She had a feeling she was going to get caught in an awkward situation with him soon, but never did she realize it would be this soon. She couldn't stop staring at his new developed muscles, therefore she shook her head and looked away to prevent herself from blushing.

"What's wrong? Did you need something?" asked Luffy.

"Is Marguerite here?"

Luffy slumped his shoulders in disappointment. That technically wasn't the question he had in mind, but he tried his best to ignore it.

"No. She and the girls went grocery shopping. Everyone else went out. Its just you and me here."

"I see."

"Ah! I know! Want to come with me somewhere?"

"Where?"

Luffy grinned. Technically, she didn't refuse him. "Just wait for me downstairs."

-x-

"Where are we going?" asked Nami. She trailed behind her captain as he led the way. With the path they were walking on, it was like she already knew where they were heading, but she couldn't help but ask to make small talk.

"I need to get something from my place first."

"And what would that be?"

"Something..."

As they continued to walk in silence, Nami couldn't help but wonder if this is a date. The two of them, alone, on the afternoon of a cloudless Sunday. He was dressed rather nicely. He wore a red tank top. Over it, he had a black, gray, and white plaid shirt and a black scarf wrapped around his neck. He wore his tan pants and black and white converse. Compared to how he dressed back then, his fashion sense has improved a lot. In other words, is this how he normally dresses now, or did he dress up for today?

"This isn't a date, just to let you know," said Luffy, as if reading her mind. He turned around and smiled sweetly. "I'm still going to win you back, but I know I can't rush on it."

Nami raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure that I'll fall in love with you again?"

"It worked out last time, didn't it?"

Nami blushed and looked away.

"D-Don't get so full of yourself."

"Shishishi! Besides, if I was going to win you back, I would've done something better than this."

Nami cocked an eyebrow. "Like?"

"It's a secret." Nami felt her heart skip a beat when he winked at her. Since when did he turn all romantic and mysterious. If he goes on like this, he can be pretty unpredictable. What more will he have in store?

The sight of Makino's bar came into view where they made a turn and walked right in. Luckily, the paparazzi Ace mentioned weren't around to bug them today. Ace worked behind the counter where he cleaned the glasses and organized the bottles. When he heard the front door open, he turned around, much to his surprise to see his two favorite people.

"What do you know! I was beginning to wonder when you were going to come and visit," said Ace. As Luffy made his way towards the counter, he was greeted by some of the customers as well as his old neighbors. Having to grow up in a popular bar like this, Ace and Luffy were really popular around the neighborhood. They were just so childish, yet lovable.

"I'll be right back. You wait here," said Luffy. He jumped over the counter and ran towards the back. Nami glanced around while twisting her chair.

"So?" Ace spoke up. Nami stopped and faced him.

"So?"

"What happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you guys back together?"

With a slight smile, Nami shook her head. Ace furrowed his brows. Her smile seemed sad, almost heartbroken. He looked back at the doorway leading to their home before continuing with his job. He took out a cleaned glass and poured her some orange juice.

"What's this for?"

"Free orange juice. On the house."

When Luffy came back out, he had a brown messenger bag hanging down his shoulder.

"Thanks for the juice, Ace." Nami smiled before leaving for the entrance. When Luffy was about to jump over the counter, Ace grabbed him by the back of his scarf and pulled him to the back door way leading to their home.

"Oi oi! What are you-"

"What happened to you? Have you turned into a huge jerk over the past two years? When did you get like that? I'm disappointed!" Ace whispered loudly.

"Huh?"

"Don't "huh" me. So I was right. You leave the girl you loved then come home with a new one. You're scary. And yet, you look so harmless.." Luffy growled. "You rejected Nami, didn't you?!"

"_I_ was rejected!"

"You fooled me. I can't believe you went off so fast to reject someone, especially Nami. Seriously, what do you plan on doing in the future. Male stripper? Host?"

"I'm the one that got rejected!" Luffy whispered a bit too loudly. Ace took a step back, startled by his sudden outburst.

"Eh?"

"I. Was. Rejected!"

"Eh? So, you're not going out with Marguerite? If so then wouldn't Nami have thrown herself on you already?"

"Of course not! And I thought so too!"

"Luffy?" Nami called out from the front. "Are we going?"

"Uh-yea! I'll meet you outside," replied Luffy.

"So, what happened exactly?" Ace asked when the coast was clear. The Straw Hat captain was blushing pink as Ace stared down at him.

"I.. went to go confess to her again, cleared everything up even, but things just didn't turned out the way I hoped."

"Hmm.." Ace thought back to Nami's response to him asking about their relationship. She looked definitely heartbroken, no mistake about that, and yet here's Luffy saying that things didn't work out between the two of them. Ace chuckled when he saw the pattern. "I admit, I didn't think you'd lose your charm, Luffy. What a pansy!"

Veins appeared on Luffy's head when his older brother bursted into a laughing fit. "Just watch! I'm going to win her back before you know it! I did it the last time! I can do it again!"

Ace's laughter died down when he saw how serious he was being. He smiled slightly and leaned back on the door frame with his arms crossed.

"Not everything happens twice, you know. Be careful."

"Whatever."

"Hey, I'm rooting for you here. So, what are you going to do to win her back? Plain idiocy? Act like a child and hope she loves you like she did last time? You haven't changed!" Ace bursted into laughter again. Having had enough of his taunts, Luffy brushed passed him, jumped over the counter and stormed his way out. Ace came out from the back, although he still couldn't contain his laughter. He tried calling out to him when he realized something.

"Wait, Luffy! I forgot! Sa-" Ace's was cut off when Luffy walked straight out without stopping. Ace took one huge breath to calm himself down. "Well, whatever. He'll surprise him when he finally comes back."

"What were you and Ace talking about back there?" asked Nami.

"Something stupid," Luffy murmured with a pout. His cheeks were puffed up and pink. He felt embarrassed just talking about it. Nami raised an eyebrow when he avoided her eyes whenever she looked at him. His mouth was hiding behind his scarf and his nose and his cheeks were slightly pink.

"Well, anyway, what's in the bag?" Nami changed the subject.

"It's for Rayleigh."

"Rayleigh?"

"Yea. It's my report on what I did everyday since he left."

"Left?"

"He only helped me with training for a year and a half. After that, he moved back here. I traveled with Marguerite alone after that."

"Hm, interesting. I wonder what happened after Rayleigh left."

Luffy stared back at her with a blank expression. Nami smiled innocently and stuck her tongue out. Luffy half smiled, having been cheered up from his conversation with Ace. He looked back up at the road and a certain memory flashed in his mind.

"I remember this road."

Nami looked up and the first thing she did was turned to the only spot in the neighborhood without a home. The large park was nothing but a spot of land now. All the destroyed ruble, gone. Nami stopped walking when they reached the front of it where the gate used to be. She remembered standing here, waiting for him to appear from his fight with her ex-master. She remembered the feeling she had when he appeared from the top of all that ruble when the entire building got destroyed by his hands. She remembered the smell of smoke, the wind from the impact, and the kiss on her lips when he returned to her.

"I hear Arlong and his gang got out of jail somehow," said Luffy. "Does that bother you?"

"Not really," Nami replied with a smile. She knew that if Luffy was around, she didn't have to worry about Arlong and his men anymore. She was hurt by them. She worked nonstop to free her neighborhood from the clutches of that horrible man, but Luffy freed her from all of that. Therefore, she no longer feared this place. Instead, she felt safe.

"Well, we should go," Nami insisted.

"You don't want to stay a little longer?" Nami shook her head. "Alright, if you say so."

Nami trailed behind as Luffy led the way. "Where are we going anyway?"

"You'll see when we get there."

-x-

"Are we going back home? This road leads back to the Sunny," stated Nami.

"Not really. See how Grand Line Academy's just up this road on the right?" Luffy pointed to his right when they came onto the road leading not only to the school, but to their home as well.

"Yeah?" Luffy walked straight ahead without saying another word. "Wait, where are we going? Why won't you tell me?"

"It's pretty self explanatory once we get there."

Nami remained silent this time. It's been bugging her that he wouldn't just tell her where they were going. Sure enough, his mysterious side was showing a lot. This street wasn't far from their home or the Academy, not even a block away. She has never gone down this road before. Nami noticed Luffy's pace getting slower.

They stopped in front of an open gate. Nami looked ahead of that gate and noticed a a giant school with all sorts of different buildings around it up ahead. The buildings looked like the structure of Grand Line Academy, only bigger. Nami could hardly see what was further inside.

"Where are we?" asked Nami.

"Seriously? You've never been down this road before? The Academy's right around the corner."

Nami shook her head. "I don't think so."

"Well, this is New World University."

* * *

**The movie comes out this Saturday! To those living in Japan.. you lucky bastards. lol jk Who knows how long we have to wait until its subbed.**

**Updates should be coming out quicker, now that I'm only working on two stories. **


	7. Chapter 7

"What are we doing here?" asked Nami.

"I told you, these reports are for Rayleigh," replied Luffy. Nami was startled when he walked on. She ran to catch up to him.

"Well, shouldn't we have gone to the Academy?"

"Don't have to. He's here. He's the principal for this place too."

"Eh? Really?"

"Don't tell me, you didn't know?"

"It never really occurred to me."

"Well, do you remember this pathway?" Luffy asked as he decided to take her on a small detour. Nami glanced up. The trees were tall and big, but for some reason, a memory of them half their size now flashed into her mind. She remembered the sun nearing its sunset and the heat from the weather. Right now, it was fully dark except for the lamp posts set everywhere. Everything seemed familiar, yet different.

"I feel like I've been here before," murmured Nami. Luffy stopped walking and pointed to a big red building. She squinted her eyes to get a better look, until realization hit her. "Eh? The dojo?"

If she remembered right, she's only been to the New World dojo once, maybe twice, and that was when she first met Luffy. She completely forgot about this building and the surroundings. Then again, she hasn't thought about any of it in a while. It completely crossed her mind that the dojo was a part of the University.

Nami snapped back to her senses when Luffy took her hand and led her on another path. "Are you still with the dojo? Is Shanks still your sensei?"

"Of course. I just took a long break away, but Rayleigh caught me up to where I could match with the highest. So, I'm stronger than you might think."

"Oh, really? I'll have to see it to believe it."

The two of them walked around the buildings where while Luffy led the way, Nami felt like she was in a whole other world. Each building had all sorts of different names and the architecture was beautiful. She couldn't keep up. Finally, Luffy led her into one of the buildings. Before they went in, she saw a light on on one of the rooms. This was the one building that looked a lot like the Academy from the outside.

"Where are we?" asked Nami.

"The main building."

"Funny. It looks exactly like-"

"The Academy? Yeah, almost everyone that goes here came from Grand Line Academy. All our classes should be in this building. Only those that are going for One Piece go into this building. All the other buildings have different studies."

"You know so much."

"Shanks gave me a tour of the whole place when I first started at the dojo. I've had the time to memorize the place." Luffy bursted open a door without knocking. "Yo, Rayleigh!"

Rayleigh glanced up from his computer. Happiness filled his heart at the sight of his young pupil appearing at his doorway. Its been over six months since he last saw him. "Luffy, never knocking as always. Nami, too. You've grown up well."

"Thanks, Rayleigh," said Nami.

"What brings you two here? Are you back together?"

Nami looked down and took a step away from her captain. Luffy cleared his throat. To make the situation less awkward, he removed his bag and placed it on Rayleigh's desk.

"This is everything I've written down since you left, as promised."

"Good work. I'll be looking over these and decide whether to move you on with your brother."

"Looking forward to it."

-x-x-

The next day was an exciting day. Why? Because its their first day into college. Today will be the day the Straw Hats will start their third year of college together. Everyone was gathered in the living room, waiting for everyone to gather so they could leave together.

"I thought you don't wear uniforms anymore once you go into college. I didn't have to when I started at my University," Nami stated as she looked down at herself.

"New World is a special University. All "special" colleges require their students to wear uniforms," explained Robin.

"Well, these are kinda cuter than the ones we wore at the Academy." Unlike Grand Line Academy where everything was blue and white, New World's colors were red, white, and gray. For their winter uniforms, they wore a white button up shirt, a blue tie around their necks, a faded yellow sweater vest, and over it was a red blazer. For their bottoms, the girls wore gray skirts while the guys wore gray pants.

Like always, Luffy and Zoro were the only ones to wear their uniforms in a messy way, but in someways, it looked fashionable, like something the models would wear. Nami, on the other hand, made sure everything looked perfect. She wouldn't want a fashion flop on the first day.

"What are you going to do all day?" Luffy asked Marguerite who sat curled up in a ball on the couch while still in her pajamas. She shrugged and stretched her arms out.

"I'll just wait here for at least one of you to return. It's not like I can go anywhere. I'd just get lost."

"Shishi, right."

"We should be back by three. In the meantime, try not to burn the house down?" Usopp teased. Marguerite sat up straight and playfully saluted him.

"Roger that, Captain."

"I wonder if we'll all have the same classes together again," said Brook.

"Of course we will. We're a crew after all. It'll be just like high school," Luffy said with a big grin.

After Marguerite wished them good luck, the Straw Hats left the house to head to college. Since it was just down the street, they decided to walk together. The sun was bright and high up where it should be. The cherry blossoms have fully bloomed and pink petals blew along with the wind. A perfect way to start off the new year.

When they neared the school, a handful of paparazzi were being held back as they tried to get shots of the famous crew. Students would stop and stare when that crew would pass by them. Nonetheless, the Straw Hats have already retrieved their old reputation of being the strongest and smartest crew in the school.

Luffy led the way for the crew as they passed through the halls. His vice captain was on his right walking along side him. Unlike two years ago, Luffy felt more confident with where he stood. On his other side, Nami still felt insecure about all this attention she was receiving. Usopp, Franky, Chopper, and Brook looked like they were having fun with it. Zoro and Robin held hands and ignored it all. Sanji was keeping his eye out on any guy they'd pass by while clutching the hand of his girlfriend. Nami was a step behind Luffy to allow him all the fame. He was a natural. He accepted everyone's greetings in a calmly matter.

The Straw Hat captain noticed her hiding behind him for comfort. He reached down and grabbed her hand secretly. Nami looked up when she felt her hand being squeezed. Although he was staring up ahead, Luffy smiled comfortingly, letting her know he was right here.

For some reason, the halls seemed more crowded than it should be. Students would come running in or they'd pile out of their homerooms and look over people's heads to get a glimpse of the newest crew that has enrolled into their school.

"Oi, Robin, do you remember what room number we're in?" asked Luffy.

"C-3," replied Robin.

"C-3, huh? Brings back memories."

When they entered their homeroom, it was already almost full. There were hardly any recognizable faces, but Luffy knew that all the crews present in this room came from Grand Line Academy. There was one person Luffy did recognize, and he was sitting on the highest step along with his crew.

"Kidd, you're in here too? What happened to Marineford?" Luffy called out.

"Let me off for good behavior. I'm not out of the game yet," replied Kidd.

Vivi scanned the room until her eyes landed on one specific captain sitting near the door. "Bonnie, you're in this class too?! Long time no see!"

The pink haired captain smirked when she saw the little princess holding hands with her boyfriend. "Still together, I see. Well, as long as he doesn't go after me like last time, nice to see you too, Vivi."

Luffy led the crew towards the window area where they used to sit in their third year of high school. It felt really nostalgic. Everyone took the same seat and to Nami, nothing could be more perfect.

"If we have homeroom again, I wonder who's our homeroom teacher," said Brook.

The noise grew louder outside the closed door. There were mainly a few screams and squeals from the girls outside.

"Oi, oi, what's going on out there?" asked Usopp.

"Sounds like we've got ourselves another celebrity," said Bonnie.

Luffy furrowed his brows. This feeling and this situation seemed oddly familiar. The door slid open, making the squeals sound louder. Chopper and Usopp moved around in their seat to get a glimpse of this popular new celebrity.

"How is it?" Usopp asked Luffy and Zoro who sat in front of the entire group. "Is he hotter than me?"

"Who is it? Who is it?" asked Chopper.

Luffy squinted his eyes. The girls blocked the way for him to see this mystery person. He couldn't shake that odd feeling in his mind though.

"Girls, please. This is my first year here, so please be gentle with me," said the mystery person.

Zoro sighed. He recognized that voice. He looked over to his captain to see what he'd think, but it looked like he didn't hear it. The swordsman shook his head. Nami noticed his reaction. She looked closer until the girls made way for the stranger, revealing himself.

Luffy's chin fell to the floor. He turned pale white and he felt a sudden brush of wind pass through him. He had a feeling something like this would happen again, but he didn't want to admit it.

"My name is Portgas D. Ace, and I'll be your homeroom teacher this year."

"ACE?" the Straw Hats yelled in unison.

"I thought you graduated last year!" said Nami.

"Yeah, but I got nothing better to do. I said I would be waiting for you at New World, didn't I? Well, here I am. This should be a fun two years together."

"Two years?!"

"What happened to our old homeroom teacher last year?" asked Bonnie.

"Retired early. So, now you've got me. Don't worry. I'll make sure a crew from my class will reach One Piece."

-x-

It was lunch and half of the students of class C-3 was heading out the door to head for the food court. The other half went out to have their bento in the beautiful cherry blossoms. Thanks to Sanji, they had their own bento. The only problem was where they were going to have lunch. The place was filled with students trying to get close to them.

"We could just have our lunch here," Vivi suggested.

"Nope. Get out," said Ace. "I need a word with your captain."

"Luffy?" Nami turned to her captain. He smiled comfortingly and nodded for them to go.

"I'll meet up with you in a second. Save me some meat."

The crew piled out of the door. Nami looked back, but he had on the same reassuring smile on his face.

Luffy closed the door, then turned back to his Nii-chan who was sitting on top of his desk eating his own bento.

"So, a teacher again, huh?" asked Luffy. Ace shrugged.

"Don't make fun of me."

"What's Marco doing nowadays? And the old man?"

"The old man retired as captain. He's a teacher here now. He's teaching the students in this building too. Marco became an instructor at the dojo just like dad, but he teaches the first years."

"I see. Then, how'd Nationals go?"

"I took your spot the year after. Won that tournament easily. The year after, Law got chosen."

"Really? Law? How'd that turn out?"

"He won. But when he did, he completely disappeared from the dojo."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"After he won, he withdrew his name from the list and left the school. No one knows where he is or his crew. Dad tried calling him up to get him to reconsider, but he never got a hold of him."

"Disappeared, huh. What else is new?"

"A lot of things have changed, Luffy. Ever since you left, nothing's been the same as it used to."

"And what do you mean by that?"

* * *

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!**

**Although I didn't get anything this year, I hope you're all having a safe and warm day, and I hope you all received everything you've ever wanted this year. **


	8. Chapter 8

"Well, first things first, you understand how this whole One Piece concept works, right?" Ace questioned.

"'Concept?' I thought it was just a degree."

"That's kind of true. Everyone's been after the One Piece lately, so things have changed. It's not just a degree anymore. You have to compete for it."

"Go on."

"At the end of your final year, each crew in each class will compete to advance for the finals. When the winners are selected, they'll be chosen to compete in all sorts of competitions to determine their strengths and knowledge. Its more like the olympics, I guess."

"So, thats what you meant when you said a crew from this class will reach One Piece."

Ace nodded. "And each class doesn't actually get just one homeroom teacher, they get two."

"Then who's the other?"

Ace shrugged. "They wouldn't tell me. I hear he's out for a few days."

"Who's Whitebeard paired with?"

"Thatch. I still think we could do better than them. My bet's on_ your_ crew."

"Already making bets?" Luffy teased.

"Hey, Dad let you go with Rayleigh for a reason. You're already in if Rayleigh's on your side, but be careful. There's this one crew in another class and they can be brutal."

"And who are they?"

"Blackbeard's crew."

"Blackbeard? The guy you said left Whitebeard's crew and formed his own? Wasn't he in the same year as you?"

"He stayed behind and increased his numbers. He's trying to recruit more people so he could win next year's competition."

"He can't be that bad. I've still got a year. But still, he stayed behind all these years?"

"He said he's after someone who's competing next year."

"And that would be?"

"You."

-x-

When Luffy left the room, he thought long and hard about what Ace told him. Two years could go by like a breeze. It seemed like just yesterday, he and his crew just got reunited. When he reached the last step to the first floor, he saw his crew sitting by the fountain, they're usual spot. Before he could open the door, he noticed the smiling faces of everyone in the crew. They were cracking jokes and dancing to Brook's music. He didn't want to ruin that by making them worry about something that's still too far away. For now, he just wants to enjoy being with his crew.

"Oi, oi, you two are acting like idiots," murmured Sanji.

Usopp stuck his tongue out. "Why don't you give it a try, kill joy-san."

"Who you calling kill joy, long nose?"

"Isn't this school great? It reminds me of the hotel," said Vivi.

"I agree, the food they serve, the fancy rooms, the beautiful landscape and buildings, they've outdone themselves," Robin added.

"What are you talking about? It's just a college," Nami said after overhearing their conversation.

"I've done some research. Haven't you noticed that this building almost looks identical to the Academy, yet more fancier? This college has really evolved a lot while we were away," explained Robin.

"Hm, now that you've said it, I have. And how so?"

"Now that it's caught a lot of attention, its also caught a lot of wealthy people's attention as well. This university isn't just a college anymore. It's a school to a lot of rich people."

"In other words, they changed the school to where its a good learning place for those types of students," Vivi added.

"'Those types?' You do know you're one of them, right?"

"I never considered myself one."

"Well, what do you know. We're finally at a place where we fit in," said Zoro. "Going to this school might not be so bad after all."

"A school with my kind of people," said Sanji.

Nami was startled when someone plopped down on the grass right next to her. That person leaned in and took a bite of her sushi.

"Hey!" Luffy smiled innocently with his mouth full. "So, how'd it go with Ace?"

Luffy shrugged. "The usual brother love."

-x-x-x-

"Luffy~! Let's go shopping~!" Marguerite whined.

"Are you crazy? I have school!" Luffy tried his best to get away from Marguerite's grasp on his blazer, but she had a firm grip on him. "Can't you just go on your own?"

"No way! I don't want to look like a loner going by myself! Just ditch today and go with me!"

"Its only my second day of school!"

"Noo~!"

"What's going on in here?" Luffy looked up and saw Nami staring at them from his doorway.

"Nami! Uh.."

"Nami! Can't you go shopping with me?" asked Marguerite. "Luffy won't come!"

"Sorry, I'm not ditching school." Marguerite pouted. "We could go shopping after school if you want."

Marguerite perked up at the suggestion. "Okay!"

When their home was finally out of sight, Luffy couldn't help but release a sigh of relief. "Thank god."

"What's wrong?" asked Nami.

"I thought she'd never let go. Anyway, I need to find her a crew really soon. I don't want her to be all alone at the Sunny anymore."

"Getting strict, are we?"

"Its not that. I just want her to experience what we have."

Nami smiled. "And what exactly would that be?"

"A family."

-x-

Luffy was on his way to the bathroom when out of no where, he got himself stuck in a chokehold. He tried to get a glance at his face, but the grip around his neck was a lot tighter than he expected. He tried flipping the stranger over, but the mystery person read him too easily. Luffy felt him kick his legs, making him fall to the ground.

"I see you still haven't changed."

Luffy's eyed widened. "Marco?!"

Marco laughed. He got off of him and helped him to his feet. In return, Luffy punched his arm harshly.

"What was that for?!"

"Can you blame me? You leave for two years and this is how you turn out? I must say, I'm not impressed."

"Shut up. I haven't been getting any sleep."

"Why? Have you and Nami been going at it every night?" Marco teased. Luffy blushed deep red. He punched him in the arm again.

"That's none of your business."

"Okay okay.. I hear you're in Ace's class again," Marco snickered. "Good luck with that."

"Thanks, I'm gonna need it."

-x-

"You okay there, Nami?" asked Franky.

"Yup. I'm good." The two walked down the hall while carrying a large pile of papers. They were sent on a little errand by their homeroom teacher to retrieve them for the class. The others didn't think it'd be fun, but she volunteered just to explore the place even for a little bit.

Franky chuckled. "You sure? You're stumbling."

"No no, I've got muscles too."

"Where?"

Nami eyed him. "Don't make fun of me, just because _you_ have muscles."

"I'm not making fun of you! But if you ever want to work out, the athletic building's just two buildings down."

Nami stuck her tongue out. "Muscle head."

"I take that as a compliment." Franky nudged her with his hip. Nami smiled. Her hold on the papers tightened. When they finally reached their floor, she noticed some of the girls staring at her or murmuring to themselves. She was given various looks, from friendly to not so friendly. She heard her name along with Luffy's, and she immediately knew what they were discussing among themselves. Whether their current relationship with one another was public or not, she didn't know, but it was bugging her, especially after Marguerite's warning.

Even the "muscle head" noticed their stares and it was starting to irritate him. "Just ignore them. They have nothing to do with our personal life."

"We're famous now, Franky. It's kind of hard to just ignore them. It'll ruin my reputation."

Franky snickered. "Your reputation? And what exactly does your reputation say about you?"

Nami pursed her lips and looked away. "Well, apparently, I'm the cute, fashionable, smart, and nice one."

"You made that up."

"Did not."

"Then what's mine?"

"Muscle head."

"See! You did make that up!"

"Did I? Did I really?" Franky laughed. Nami relaxed her shoulders. "And don't worry about me. Ever since I first started going out with Luffy, I've learned to just ignore any unnecessary comments about me. I learned to just leave it alone and just smile."

"I'm impressed. You're not the little newbie anymore, but you're still not stronger than me."

Nami pursed her lips when he patted her head like she was a dog.

"I'm stronger than you think."

"If you say so."

"Faster too!"

"Whatev-OI!" Franky sprinted into a run right after Nami dashed ahead of him.

"Last one to the room buys the winner ice cream!"

"You're on!"

-x-x-

"So, tell me again why Franky just had to buy you ice cream?" Luffy asked. The final bell had just rang and while the two were heading for the entrance, Nami was enjoying her reward.

"Won a bet. I told him he was nothing but muscle. Never listens."

"Well, can I have some?"

"No! Buy your own!"

"Ehh?"

Nami glanced ahead and noticed a large group forming at the gate of the entrance. It could be paparazzi again, but why would the students gather for that? Maybe a celebrity? Rumors would've spread around the school by now. Rayleigh was strict about unwanted photographers near the students just yesterday.

"Oi, what's going on?" Luffy asked.

"Maybe someone more popular than you has arrived."

"That's impossible. I can't be outranked after just two days."

"I don't believe it. You actually deem your worth," Nami shook her head in disappointment.

"Can you blame me? I mean, look at me. I'm a hot mess."

"Yeah. You're a God."

The two Straw Hats kept their distance away from the group. There were lots of talk about this person's golden locks, hot figure, and sense of fashion, but Nami could never get a glimpse of their face. She was curious.

When they were nearing the gate, Luffy noticed Nami's pace slowing down. He slowed down too, until she completely stopped.

"Nami?"

She looked closer until she got a good look at the famous golden locks. It was short and slightly styled, something she recognized on...

"Marguerite?!"

"EH?" Luffy and Nami dashed towards the group, snaking through for them to get in. "Make way!"

"Move please!"

When they finally reached the middle, they were met with Marguerite who stood at the center looking more confused than them.

"Get away from her!" yelled Luffy. The circle around them got bigger, allowing them more space. Nami was the first to comfort her.

"You're not hurt, are you?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. They just came out of no where and started asking me some random questions. I was just looking for you."

"Well, nice work. You're more popular than Luffy," Nami teased.

"Again, I'm _way_ more popular."

"Well~," Marguerite squeezed herself between them and locked arms with the both of them. "Let's go shopping!"

-x-

Never did Nami know that she would get so many stares from the shoppers. And here she thought school was too much. She felt like a celebrity.

"Ooh, she's pretty," Marguerite said while eyeing a magazine. Nami narrowed her eyes to where she was looking, and it immediately caught her off guard.

"Luffy!"

"Hm? What?" The Straw Hat captain turned around, surprised to see what Nami was holding up for him to see. "Eh? Hancock?"

Marguerite looked back and forth between Nami and Luffy. "Do you guys know her?"

Nami looked to Luffy for answers, but her captain had the same confused expression on his face. On the cover, Hancock's face was filled with make up. She wore a stunning gold dress and gold jewelry. She looked like a model. They knew there would be a lot of changes, but this was unexpected.

* * *

**Happy New Year! Needed a new chapter to start off the new year.**

**Sorry for the.. dryness in the story. I promise it'll pick up soon.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Have you ever talked to her while you were gone?" Nami questioned.

"I haven't made any contact with anyone, you know that." Luffy scanned through the magazine and came across a ton of photos of Hancock and her sisters. Movie premieres, concerts, they've been to all of them. "This really surprised me though, especially the title."

Nami leaned in closer to Luffy so she could get a better look at it. "'Why Hancock hates men.' Hm, I wonder why."

"So, you're blaming this on me?"

"I never said that."

"Let's not forget, because of her, you and I got to-" Nami blushed deep red. She pushed him away from her and snatched the magazine.

"D-Don't bring that up!"

Luffy bursted out laughing.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Marguerite. "Do you know her?"

Nami rubbed the back of her head awkwardly. "S-Sort of."

Marguerite gasped. "Can you introduce me?! I want to meet her!"

"Really? She's not all that great, you know," Luffy remarked while picking his nose. He glanced at her and saw her pouting face. He sighed heavily. "Do you really want to meet her?"

Marguerite nodded her head rapidly.

"Alright."

-x-x-

Luffy leaned over Usopp's shoulder as his long-nosed friend surfed the web. "How is it? Did you find her?"

"Working on it, but I've been doing some research. Having been the only female in Marineford's "Top Seven," and due to her "gorgeous complexion," she gained her popularity. In an interview, she responded with "I hate men" when asked about her love life, which explains the magazine you guys found."

From the couch, Zoro couldn't help but snicker when he heard about her response.

"I wonder how that happened."

"It couldn't have been me! Its not like I said anything to offend her in any way," Luffy defended.

"She's probably saying all that to keep the boys from going after her," claimed Robin. She sat on the floor, in between her boyfriend's legs.

"But why would she say that even though she could have the most handsomest guy in the world?" Chopper asked.

"Maybe, Luffy's the only one for her," Nami replied. Luffy glared at her. Never did he think that Nami would be the one to say that.

Marguerite skipped over to Usopp and Luffy excitedly. "So, did you find her?"

"It says here she'll be at a fashion show at downtown Tokyo."

"Great! Should we buy tickets?" asked Marguerite. Luffy smirked.

"Don't need to."

-x-x-

Marguerite tightly held onto Luffy's shirt as he led the way through the photographers outside the building. Using sunglasses to hide his eyes, and especially his all too recognizable scar, only a few of the photographers noticed. He tightly held onto Nami's hand, who Luffy forced to come with them. When she accidentally tripped, Luffy caught her with ease. She tightly held onto his hand so they wouldn't get separated.

"Tell me again why I have to come?" asked Nami. "Its not like I have to be here."

Luffy didn't answer, or rather, he refused to answer. There _was_ a reason why Nami had to come, but he couldn't let her know. They were stopped at the entrance where a few guests tried to get in without a ticket.

"Guests without a ticket are not permitted in under any circumstances. Please, leave."

Marguerite tugged on Luffy's shirt hesitantly. "Maybe this was a bad idea, Luffy. Let's just go home."

Ignoring her request, Luffy charged forward. "My name is Monkey D. Luffy. I came to talk to Hancock."

The agent grimaced. "No ticket, no entrance."

Luffy removed his sunglasses. "I never lie. Let me in."

When the Straw Hat captain removed his sunglasses, the agent grew hesitant. Almost everyone in Japan knows that scar on his cheek, and he knows what he's capable of.

"We'll be in and out before you know it," Nami added.

-x-

Hancock eyed herself in the mirror. As always, her face was covered with a ton of make up. She looked like a Barbie doll. She'd be lying if she said she didn't love all this attention and fame. After two years in the modeling business, she probably just got used to all of this.

"You look as beautiful as ever," Marigold complimented her oldest sister.

"I know, but I feel like there's just something missing."

"Either way, you're still gonna look hot out there," said Sandersonia. "So, why care?"

"Perfection is always important. I thought I taught you that."

A staff member knocked on the door and said, "Hancock-sama, there's a visitor here to see you. He says its really urgent."

While adjusting her dress, the blue-eyed beauty didn't bother to look up. "Is he on the list?"

"N-No."

"Then why is security making such a big deal out of it? Just throw him out."

"But, Hancock-sama, he claims to be Monkey D. Luffy."

Hancock dropped the bottom of her dress. She blinked twice before looking up at the staff member with demanding eyes.

"Bring him in."

-x-

Luffy, Nami, and Marguerite were let through thanks to Hancock's request. Marguerite was so speechless, and yet, she couldn't control her happiness. She walked ahead with the security, while the other two followed behind on their own pace. Now noticing the gap between them, Nami couldn't help but notice her hand intertwined with his. His hand felt warm, and often times he would squeeze hers, as if he was afraid to let her go.

They were led to an open door, where Marguerite hid behind Luffy and Nami. Luffy couldn't help but chuckle at her sudden mood change. "Shy now?"

"Shut up."

Hancock stepped out from her room, fully dressed and prepared for the fashion show. Her long blue dress complimented her eyes. Her hair flowed against her back as always and she wore tall heels that made her a head taller than Luffy. She didn't look like a college student, she looked like a real woman.

"Luffy-sama~! I'm so glad you came!" Hancock's happiness was suddenly shifted when she saw where one of his hands was placed. "Tch, I see you're still with her."

"Yes, I am." Nami took a step away in surprise. Now she knew the reason why Luffy desperately wanted her to come, to prove to Hancock that they were still dating. It was a cowardly decision, but if he told her the truth, she'd possibly move back to their school. What amazed Nami the most was that Hancock didn't even realize that he was lying. With his lips pursed and sweat trailing down his temples, he couldn't have been more obvious.

Hancock sighed deeply. "Whatever. Just remember that if you ever need a real woman, you can always come see me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Luffy replied politely, yet awkwardly.

"So, why are you guys here?" Hancock noticed another person behind the couple. She was staring back at her with a hesitant and frightened look. When she noticed her staring back, the blonde-haired girl went back into hiding behind Luffy. "Who's your friend?"

Luffy released his hold on Nami's hand and stepped aside. With his hands on her shoulders, he pushed his friend towards Hancock. "This is my friend, Marguerite. She's a big fan of you."

Marguerite bowed down politely. "I'm sorry for intruding on you in such a terrible time."

Hancock eyed her. She took a step back and made way towards her dressing room. "Come inside. I want to talk to you."

Marguerite beamed. She turned to Luffy, who responded by giving her a thumbs up. Right after Marguerite stepped in, Hancock closed the door to give them some privacy. As soon as the door closed, Nami punched Luffy in the arm.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"You used me!" Nami whispered. Luffy pouted.

"Well, its not like I was really lying. You'll be mine eventually." Luffy laughed when he noticed her ears turning red.

"Shut up."

While sitting on a bench, the atmosphere felt awkward due to the silence. She sat on one side, he sat on the other. For some reason, she felt really nervous. Nami narrowed her eyes and noticed him tapping his foot rapidly. He must feel anxious too.

Luffy hardly noticed his foot tapping on its own. It took all his strength to stay on his side of the bench. If he had no control, he'd be cuddling up to Nami right now without her permission. The closest thing he could do to her was hold her hand, and even she felt insecure about it. He'll have to try harder. He was never the patient type.

The way he got her the first time was by freeing her from Arlong's grasp. He won her heart easily. What's he going to do this time? Have her enslaved again and rescue her again? Stupid idea.

"They're taking rather long. The show started five minutes ago," Nami commented. Luffy checked the time on his phone. She was right. If the organizers of the fashion show find out the reason for their star's absence, they might call the police. When Luffy got up from his seat, the door to Hancock's dressing room opened.

Marguerite had the biggest smile on her face. She waved for them to come over before turning back to her idol.

"Remember what I said," Hancock told Marguerite. "After the deadline, my offer will not stand any longer. I don't just offer this to anyone."

Marguerite nodded. "I understand."

-x-

"EHH? You got invited to join Hancock's crew?! Are you crazy?!"

"EHHH?"

Marguerite nervously rubbed the back of her head. "Is that bad?"

Luffy bit his tongue when he realized he was being rude. "No no no! It's just..."

"We're happy for you and all," Nami filled in for him. "You just got here, though. Are you dead set on joining Hancock's crew?"

Marguerite shifted her eyes to each of the Straw Hats in the kitchen. All of them were waiting for her answer, but all she saw was the closeness they all had. Although they may fight and bicker over the most stupidest things, they always laugh in the end. They were like a real family. She wanted to experience that in her own crew.

Marguerite nodded. "I'm sure. Hancock-sama and I already discussed about it before the fashion show. I leave tomorrow morning on the first bus to Marineford. I'll be going to school with her and her crew."

"Marguerite-chan..." Sanji couldn't help but feel like she was rushing into this.

"You really want to leave so soon, Marguerite-san?" asked Brook. Marguerite nodded politely.

"I want to be a part of something I love."

Luffy never saw her look this happy before. Although he was against the whole idea, mainly it being due to Hancock and Marineford, what kind of friend would he be if he stopped her now?

He placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. "If you're happy, its fine with me."

"Me too!"

"Us too!"

"If this is what you want, Marguerite-chan, then go for it," Sanji encouraged.

"He's right, Marguerite," said Vivi.

"We're here if you need us," Luffy added.

-x-

Marguerite reached for the handle of her bag when the bus approached the station. He turned back to the others with a deep frown. "I guess this is goodbye for now."

"Marguerite!" Their blonde-haired friend was startled when she was tackled with so many hugs from so many of the guys. Luffy blinked twice before he could do anything. Nami tried pulling Chopper off of her, while Robin did the same to Usopp.

"Come on, guys! Its not forever!" Nami yelled over them.

Sanji kicked Franky on top of the head, not even bothered by the height difference. Because of his light and thin figure, Brook was easily pulled away by Luffy.

"Come back soon! I never got a rematch on that game I lost to you a few days ago!" Usopp said while tears overflowed his vision.

"When you do, teach me how to make more chocolate candies!" said Chopper.

Marguerite could feel the tears surfacing. She couldn't help but smile as she wiped some of those tears away. "You guys.."

"We can sing some more songs together!" said Brook.

"You're the only girl I know that has an interest in auto. Be sure to come back so we could make something SUPER together," said Franky.

"Un! I will."

Zoro patted her on the back, albeit harshly. Sanji squeezed her shoulder comfortingly. Marguerite was next greeted by a hug from both Robin and Vivi.

"Be sure to come back and visit, okay?" asked Vivi.

"Just don't bring your captain along," murmured Zoro. Having heard what he said, Robin elbowed her boyfriend.

"I'll be back soon," Marguerite replied.

Next was Nami. She gave her the biggest hug she could possibly give. At first, she didn't think she'd ever get along with this girl Luffy brought home, but after getting to know a little, she wasn't as bad as she thought. By that, Nami learned to never jump into conclusions.

"Second chances aren't always bad," Marguerite whispered into her ear. She pulled away, yet stayed close for only Nami to hear. "By the time I come back to visit, I better see you two together."

"I'll take that into consideration," Nami said without whispering.

Luffy ruffled her blonde hair. Marguerite stuck her tongue out at him while trying to redo her hair. Luffy laughed then pulled her in for a tight hug. "Be careful out there."

"I will, thanks for bringing me here."

"You know my number. Just call if something comes up."

Marguerite gave him one last squeeze. "Good luck with her. I'll be rooting for you."

As the Straw Hats watched as the bus cruised away, Nami couldn't help but think about her last words. Second chances aren't always bad, she knew that and she wanted to believe that. Nami narrowed her eyes to Luffy, then realized he was staring at her too. The two jumped in slight surprise and quickly looked away.

"W-What were you and Marguerite whispering to each other about?" asked Luffy.

"Just some advice for the future."

"And? Do you believe her?"

"I think she might be right."

* * *

**Sorry for the long wait, but I'm back! Semester exams came up and I needed to study if I needed to keep my grades up. Thank you for being so patient. **


	10. Chapter 10

After a long day at school, Luffy decided to stay after and help Ace with any work needed. Having been with his crew for a while now, he missed the times he would spend with Ace when he still lived at home.

"So, how's it like working in the bar alone?"

"Greedy people were greedy, generous people gave me a couple extra tips, some pervert wouldn't stop asking me about where Mom was and what she was up to, the usual," said Ace. "Nojiko comes in and helps me sometimes. You make it sound like I'm a lonely person with no life."

"Pervert? You mean that old guy from down the street? Ha! He used to always give me candy when I was little. I can see why now."

"Wha.. candy?! An old guy never gave me any candy when I was little!"

"Because out of all of us, I was always the cutest and the favorite one... people hated you."

"Me?!"

"Yeah, don't you remember? We used to pull so many pranks in the neighborhood and get away with most of them. If we were caught, I was always the one that got away with it."

"Oh, how could I forget? Mom and Dad _loved_ you."

Luffy smiled innocently and shrugged his shoulders. "Can you blame me for being cute?"

Ace ruffled his hair. "Don't get cocky."

Luffy placed his straw hat over on his head to hide his now untamed hair. "Have you heard from Tou-chan and Kaa-chan yet?"

"They said they'll be back 'very soon.'"

"'Very soon?' Whats that supposed to mean?"

Ace shrugged. "Its Dad. What'd you expect?"

The two brothers entered through the front door of their home. Due to Ace's job, the bar was only allowed open on specific hours.

Luffy smiled. "Even though Kaa-chan's gone, it still smells like her cooking here."

"Mom taught me a few recipes while you were gone."

"You? Cooking? I never even thought that was possible. You once burned instant ramen in the microwave once. Twice actually, in less that a week."

"That was Marco's fault."

"Marco was never there."

-x-x-

Nami stared at the time on her TV. While everyone was busy sleeping in their own rooms, she hardly felt tired, probably due to all the things that have been running through her mind the whole day.

She sighed heavily.

She knew that if she didn't sleep now, she'll regret it in the morning, even if it is a saturday. She reached for the remote on her nightstand. If she wasn't going to sleep, then watching a couple shows might make her drowsy. Before turning the TV on, she adjusted herself to be in a more comfortable sitting position.

Suddenly, she heard a harsh pound coming from outside her balcony. Nami shook it off as it being nothing. Straightaway, she heard rapid tapping sounds from the same area. Due to curiosity, Nami quietly removed her blanket and tiptoed to her balcony. She slightly peeked through her curtains. It was hard to see because it was pitch black, but she knew something was off with what she was seeing.

Nothing seemed wrong about the garden or the gazebo. She didn't see any movement from the driveway, until her eyes reached the gate. Anyone could've missed it, but the closer she looked, she could see the gate slightly open.

Nami couldn't hide it any longer. She dashed to the closest bedroom at high speed.

"Luffy! Wake up!" Nami whispered loudly. The sleepy captain rubbed his eyes after being suddenly awoken.

"Can't it wait until morning? I was having a beautiful dream." Luffy raised the cover to his chin and turned away. Nami pulled his blanket off of him.

"This is serious! I think someone's here."

Luffy groaned, then sat up lazily. "Maybe it was just a dream? No one can get through the gate without a code," Luffy murmured while half asleep.

"There are_ some_ people out there that can easily break a code."

Nami noticed his sudden mood change when he looked up at her. He looked serious, yet concerned. He dashed out of the room. Nami was right behind him. Just being alone right now scared her.

-x-

Sanji yawned. "What exactly are we doing in the middle of the night?"

"Someone apparently broke in while breaking the code," said Franky.

"R-Really?! That's scary!" said Chopper. Everyone has woken up due to Luffy's emergency. Now, they were waiting upstairs while waiting for Luffy or Zoro who were both scouting the area.

"Why don't you go and help them?" Brook asked Sanji. The cook sat back lazily and leaned his head on his girlfriend's shoulder.

"Two's enough."

-x-

The first thing Luffy did once he set foot outside was close the main gate. It was only slightly open, big enough for a person to come through. When he checked the little password box, it looked perfectly normal. It didn't look like it was damaged. If someone were to break in, then they would've broken it, or leave the password alone and just climb over the gate. In other words, someone who knows their password is inside.

Meanwhile, Zoro let himself in through the front entrance while turning off his flashlight. He sighed heavily and went to the kitchen for a glass of water.

"So? Any sign of any burglars?" asked Robin, who was waiting patiently for them in the kitchen.

"Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Maybe they could already be inside."

"The only entrances are the front door and-"

Zoro was cut off by the sound of a door being slid open. He ran to the living room. It wasn't the front door. That leaves one last choice. Zoro ran around the stairs and saw the culprit entering through the door. He had his hood over his head, unable for Zoro to see. Whether he could see his face or not, the green haired swordsman tackled him to the ground.

"Bastard, just coming in here uninvited! Who the hell do you think you are?!" Zoro removed the hood to reveal the face of the culprit. Honestly, he didn't expect to see Ace underneath that hood.

"ACE?!"

"Yo..."

-x-

After figuring that out, Luffy searched the perimeter for any signs of movement. Nothing has shown up so far.

"Hmm, it's fun going on an investigation in the dark, but I probably should've brought a flashlight with me," Luffy murmured to himself. It wasn't as dark thanks to the moon, but with one small mistake, he could easily hurt himself. Luffy jogged back towards the entrance while making sure to watch where his feet landed. If he stepped on any of Robin's flowers, he'll never hear the end of it, and he'll get a beating from Zoro for making Robin mad. He can't have that.

As he neared the house, he noticed a shadow moving on the wall. He followed the shadow to a figure walking around the corner towards their backyard. This angered the Straw Hat captain. He sprinted into a run to catch up with his culprit.

Before he could reach the corner of the house, he prepared himself to tackle the person to the ground. He didn't expect to just run into him. Both Luffy and the hooded figure were knocked down due to Luffy's harsh impact. Luffy was first to get up while rubbing his head.

"Dammit."

Just then, Luffy noticed his visitor starting to help himself up. Before he could, the captain jumped on him and pinned his hands on the ground.

"Who are you?! What do you want?!" Luffy snarled.

"Don't get mad-"

"Mad?! I'm way past mad!"

The hooded person laughed, causing Luffy to scowl. He reached for his hood to reveal his face. At the sight of his revealed face, Luffy stumbled back to where his rear fell on the ground.

"You're-"

The visitor sat back up and wiped away some dirt from his cheek using his thumb. "So much for a surprise. I guess I've been found out. Told you, there's no reason to be mad."

"W..What are you doing here?"

"Thought I'd come back and visit." He smiled when the shock expression never left Luffy's face. "I'm back, little brother."

-x-

The Straw Hats were gathered in the living room after Luffy found their little visitor. It was completely unexpected. Almost everyone felt like they haven't fully awaken yet. No one expected Luffy's _other_ older brother to come and visit.

"Wahh, this place is amazing. Gotta give you props, Luffy. Never thought you'd actually pull off something like this," Sabo complimented.

"So, why didn't you call first?" asked Zoro. Out of all of the Straw Hats, Zoro was the only one to have actually met Sabo from when they were younger. It was only Luffy and him in the crew back then.

"If you couldn't tell already, I was coming to surprise you."

"Then what are _you_ doing here?" Zoro asked Ace.

"I told him to meet me at the bar first, but he wanted to see Luffy as soon as possible. So rude. Doesn't even want to see me first. Some older brother he is."

"That probably explains the gate being opened," said Robin. "You never cared to make sure it was closed?"

"Actually, I came here and saw the gate already open, so I just stepped in." Everyone turned to Sabo who was donning the must mischievous smile he could pull.

"Come on, picking locks was the first thing I learned back in the days. I can get into anything."

Luffy laughed. "That's how we found out what we got for Christmas every year. Still, I can't believe you're back! It's been years! We should go out now! I'll show you around!"

Sabo chuckled. "Relax, Luffy. It's still night. I'll be here till morning. Actually, I'll be here for a while."

"Huh? Really?"

"I never heard about this," said Ace. "From what I've heard, you never stay in one place for long, and after you left, you never visited once. Why now?"

"Truth be told, I needed a break. Traveling and jumping from one country to another is a lot of work. Other than that, I missed you guys! I wanted to meet this famous Straw Hat crew!"

"You heard of us?" asked Chopper.

"Oh yeah, as soon as I landed here. I must say, you've chosen some interesting people to join your crew, Luffy."

At the kitchen's doorway stood Nami, Vivi, and Sanji. All three haven't said a word yet, but just like the rest of the crew, they were shocked to hear that another brother of Luffy's came out from out of the blue.

"I'm really surprised. I never would've imagined that Luffy had another brother," said Nami.

"Makino-san would tell us some stories of all three of them. Luffy-san and Ace-san never brought him up, so we never did," said Vivi.

"He doesn't have anymore brothers, does he?"

"Nope. Just Ace and Sabo," said Sanji.

"Hm, I wonder why he..." Nami's voice trailed away when she realized the room got quiet. She turned to the crew and noticed them staring at Sabo. She glanced at him. She was taken back when she realized he was staring at her in awe.

"Um.."

"What's your name?" asked Sabo.

"N..Nami."

"Nami, huh? That's a really pretty name. Would you like to go out tomorrow, uh, I mean would you_ all_ like to go out tomorrow? I haven't been home in a while."

"We could give you a tour!" Usoppp suggested.

"And eat a ton!" Chopper added. Nami blinked twice until she could process what just happened. She turned to Vivi who showed the same confused expression.

While everyone started conversing with one another, Luffy couldn't help but repeat what his oldest brother just said. What he just said, was he asking her out? He turned to Sabo and noticed a hint of pink on his cheeks while talking to Usopp and Franky. He would catch him taking quick glances at Nami and yet the others wouldn't notice.

"Yo, Luffy. You saw that too, didn't you?" Zoro murmured.

Ace chuckled. "Never heard Sabo say something like that before."

"You guys saw it too? So, it wasn't just me."

Zoro chuckled. "Is this a new love triangle? Two brothers over one girl?"

"I sense drama," Ace said enthusiastically.

"But I have something he doesn't. I'm taking Nami back for sure."

* * *

**Some of you actually started to question whether Sabo is going to show up or not. Did I make it too obvious? I was trying not to lol**


	11. Chapter 11

The next day was a perfect day to go to Shibuya and explore the city. With Sabo back in town, it was a good excuse to go sightseeing or shopping, in Vivi's case. Even Ace and Nojiko tagged along with the group. As always, the place was busy as usual, and because they were out in public, paparazzi immediately found them and wanted to ask them questions and take their photos. Like any celebrity would do, they just ignored them and walked away. Thankfully, the amount of people and shoppers in Shibuya were over the roof. They lost the paparazzi easily.

"It never occurred to me how much popularity you guys have here," said Sabo. "What exactly did you do to earn this fame? Please, tell me your secrets. _I must know_."

Ace chuckled. "Pick up a magazine or something if you want to know so badly."

"You don't know what happened to Luffy-san? Don't you guys talk over the phone?" asked Vivi.

"Due to Sabo traveling _everywhere_, we would never know where he'd be," explained Luffy. "He could be in Egypt and we wouldn't know. It costs a lot of money to just make an international call."

"Why were you exploring?" asked Nami. Sabo rubbed the back of his head as he thought about it. He seemed embarrassed.

"You could say, I was searching for freedom."

"Have you found it?"

"I'll let you know when I do." Sabo winked.

Luffy eyed the sudden closeness between the two. They were suddenly walking close together. So close to where their arms would bump on accident. Nami may not have realized it, but Sabo surely did. The sparkle in his eyes showed it all. Luffy squeezed himself in between them and placed his arms around their shoulders.

"So! Where should we go first? Shopping? Eating?"

"Beats me. Where would you like to go, Nami?" Sabo leaned his head forward just to look at her. Luffy found it annoying.

"I don't really mind."

"Let's go eat!" Usopp suggested.

"We just ate breakfast over an hour ago and you're still hungry?" said Sanji.

"I'm starting to get a bit hungry too," said Sabo.

Zoro chuckled. "You haven't changed a bit. You brothers are exactly alike."

"I see you finally got a girl. She's not bad to look at either. Nice one, Zoro."

Zoro cleared his throat then looked away to avoid feeling embarrassed. "N-No need to point that out."

Robin giggled.

"We could eat at that one restaurant we ate at last week," Franky suggested.

"We'd have to take a train to get there," said Vivi.

"You mean that one restaurant with those awesome burgers?! Let's go!" exclaimed Usopp.

"Why not just go somewhere closer? It'll save us the time," said Zoro.

"All in favor of going?"

Due to majority vote, everyone against Zoro, the crew decided to go for the restaurant. The only problem was the train. Because it was only the morning, it was jam packed with people. By that, it means the Straw Hats could hardly maneuver through. Although everyone tried to their best to stay together, they were all separated into various areas on the train.

Fortunately for Luffy, he got held up with Nami. In spite of that, Sabo was also with them.

"Almost forgot how crowded Japan was. It's like a japanese lunch time rush!" said Sabo.

"Like we didn't have our own lunch time rush with Ace and Jii-chan," replied Luffy.

"Ha! You always lost all the meat and always ate the left overs."

"Bet I can take you on now!"

Nami, being the shortest out of the three, was having the most difficultly maintaining her personal bubble. Armpits were right in front of her face, and it definitely wasn't a pleasant smell. She felt some hands on the most inappropriate places and because she couldn't move, she couldn't do anything about it.

Luffy noticed her whimpering. He placed a hand on the door, right beside Nami's head, and used all his strength to push himself back, allowing Nami some space. Sabo, who stood on the other side of his arm, was still being crushed by the crowd.

"Ugh, is it me or did the amount of people increase?" Sabo murmured. Nami couldn't help but noticed his pain. For living in Japan her whole life, she was used to it.

"Sabo, are you okay?" Now that she thought about it, she wasn't in pain anymore. When she turned to look at Sabo, she noticed Luffy's arm between them, making her realize the distance between him and her. Luffy was covering her.

"I wonder when do you think we'll get there. I hope the others know when to get off," Luffy wondered. In other words, he was trying to make conversation.

"Just try not to spend all our money when we get there."

"Shishishi, I don't even have any money on me."

"Wha-then who's-" Nami was cut off by Luffy's sudden scream. She turned her head and saw Sabo biting Luffy's arm. "Uhh.."

"What are you doing?!" Luffy raised his sleeve to reveal Sabo's teeth marks on his arm.

"I did it without realizing?" Sabo said innocently. "By the way, its not fair you're only protecting Nami. Cover me too!"

Nami chuckled when Luffy moved away from her and moved onto Sabo. There faces were a feet apart, yet both of Luffy's arms were on each side of Sabo's head, completely covering him from the crowd.

"Luffy, I love ya and all, but I don't like this."

"It's even worse for me." Sabo sneaked under Luffy's arm and placed his arm beside Nami's head to protect her.

"How about this, I guard Nami, so you protect me! Okay, Nami?" He looked down, but didn't realize how close they were. He got a closer look at her big brown eyes. They were hypnotizing. Other than that, she had the cutest baby face he's ever seen.

"I'm fine. I'll be okay even if you don't guard me."

Sabo looked away. He couldn't find the words to say anything. He felt like he just got punched a million times in the jaw. Nami noticed his face turning red. He'd avoid her eyes and look down. To the side, Luffy was giving him an odd look. Of course, Sabo has never acted like this before, but he knew the reason for it.

"Sabo, are you okay?" asked Nami.

"Ugh, I can't do it. I'm getting off at the next station." Sabo clutched his throbbing chest.

"Eh? Sabo?"

"Sabo, are you okay?"

When the doors opened, Sabo was the first to leave. Luffy turned to Nami. "For the time being, I'll go with Sabo. Go on ahead of us."

"Eh? I'll come too-" Before she could finish, the doors closed on her, with Luffy and Sabo on the other side.

"You okay, bro?" asked Luffy. He offered him a can of soda to cool him down. He looked warm. It couldn't have been the weather because it was just spring.

"Thanks. Jeez, what's wrong with me?"

"You tell me."

"I think these feelings for Nami are growing."

"..Eh?"

"Its so weird. I've never felt this way for a girl before. I mean, I've seen a lot through my years, but damn."

"Then why Nami?" asked Luffy. Truth be told, that question has been on his mind since the night before.

"Hm..she's everything I look for in a girl." Luffy yelped. Sabo noticed his reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Uh, nothing nothing."

Luffy sat down next to him on the bench. He tilted his head down to hide his face with his straw hat. When they first started dating two years ago, that was exactly how he described Nami in his mind. She was perfect in his eyes. Never did he think Sabo would come along and have these same feelings. Never did he think that he would get caught in a little love triangle with his brother and the girl he's in love with.

-x-

When Nami got to the restaurant, everyone was already there, everyone beside Luffy and Sabo, of course.

"Hm? Wasn't Luffy and Sabo with you?" asked Ace.

"Um, Sabo was feeling overwhelmed. He and Luffy stayed back for a while."

After about twenty minutes, Luffy and Sabo finally arrived. Sabo didn't look any different. In fact, he looked like he was in a really good mood.

While around the table, Luffy took Nami's side. Unfortunately for Sabo, Nojiko took her other side. Sadly, the only other available spot was next to her other brother which was three seats away from Nami.

"How's Sabo? Is he okay?" Nami asked Luffy.

"Yeah. He was fine after some fresh air."

"I see. I was so surprised! He suddenly looked like he was in pain."

"Hm, he's probably overworked himself while traveling. Jumping into different countries all the time could ruin his body."

"Huh? Really? It doesn't seem like it."

"Maybe, but Sabo's now.." Nami's eyed widened when Luffy covered his eyes and looked away. "I'm sorry."

Nami covered her mouth in shock. She didn't realize she touched on something painful for him. She saw Sabo from her corner of her eye. He was having a normal conversation with Ace. Indeed he looked fine, but that could've all been an act. It never occurred to her that Sabo was dying.

"I-I'm sorry I made you tell me something painful. I understand now.." Nami got up from her seat.

"Sorry, anyway, Sabo's completely fine now-eh?" After scratching his eye, Luffy turned back to Nami, but she was gone. "Nojiko, where's Nami?"

"Oh, she went to the bathroom."

-x-

Nami peeked from the bathroom and closely watched Sabo. Normally, she'd think he'd be as buff as Ace and Luffy, but Sabo was the skinniest one. It was probably due to traveling so much. She jumped when he and Ace got up off their seats and started heading for the bathroom-where she currently is. Nami closed the door to the women's bathroom, yet kept her back to the wall.

"What's up with you? You've been yawning a lot since you got here." Nami recognized it to be Ace's voice.

"Didn't get much sleep again. My body's as weak and tired as ever."

"That's your fault you know."

Then, Nami heard a door close. They must've went into the men's restroom. She looked up and saw herself in the mirror. Sabo was dying. Poor Luffy and Ace. That must've been why he came back. He came back out of the blue so there must've been a reason. She didn't think it would be something as big as this. She felt terrible.

Nami sighed. All she can do now is be there for Luffy.

Little did she know, when the door closed to the men's bathroom, she didn't actually listen to the full conversation between the two brothers.

"You come home after a long flight and play video games for four hours straight. Who the hell does that?" said Ace.

"I've gone a whole day without sleep. I blame you."

"Me?!"

"You managed to beat my highest score from before I left. I needed to take that title back!"

"Dumbass."

* * *

**Did you see my Kuroko no Basket reference? lol I'm obsessed with that manga. xP**

**Anyway, sorry for my late updates. I've been juggling four stories at once and its not easy. Followed by school work and writer's block, I'm stressing out. **


	12. Chapter 12

The couple walked down their street hand-in-hand under the starry sky. It was cold, but that didn't bother the raven-haired girl for she had his jacket over her shoulders. The streets were empty, and normally, no one should be out at this time of night, but she knew he was strong enough to fend off any perverts lurking around.

"Aren't you cold? Your jacket is very warm. You can have it back if you want."

"Then where would that leave you? You'll be freezing, specially with what you have on."

"The same thing applies to you."

Zoro shook his head. Then, he noticed something when she blew on her hands.

"You don't have your gloves either?"

"I didn't think I'd need them today."

Zoro let go of her hand to remove one of his gloves. Robin was surprised when he only offered one of them. "Just one?"

"So I could hold your other hand."

Robin smiled. Although Zoro may look tough and act tough, he has a soft side to him. His new scar over his eye had nothing to do with that. He was hers, and she felt so lucky to have him.

After putting on the glove, she intertwined her bare fingers through his. As she expected, he was warm, one reason why she loved him.

"While we were separated, have you ever set your eyes on any other girl while I wasn't looking?" asked Robin.

Zoro's silent response made her curious. Either he got mad for her even thinking that, or in fact, _he did_ get attracted to another girl.

"_I loved Ophelia. Forty thousand brothers could not, with all our quantity of love, make up my sum._"

Robin was impressed. "I didn't know you knew Hamlet, let alone Shakespeare."

"You always quoted Shakespeare, so I thought I'd read some of his books to understand your language. Anyways, did I answer your question?"

Robin grinned. "You did."

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew were having a couple drinks at the bar. Its been a long day of exploring for one day, and everyone needed to rest. Thankfully, only a few photographers found them, which didn't affect their their day as they thought they would.

"Do you think we're celebrity level yet?" asked Franky.

"We could be idols!" said Chopper.

Sanji thought about it when Chopper mentioned 'idols.' "Idols, huh? Hmm... By the way, where did Robin-chan and that idiot marimo go?"

"They went for a walk before we came here," said Vivi.

Sanji leaned back on his seat. "Well, as long as she's with Zoro."

"My, Sanji-san, you actually have faith in Zoro-san protecting Robin-san?" Brook asked in surprise.

Sanji avoided his eyes while his face turned red. "Its not like I fully trust that idiot."

"It's getting pretty late. I wonder when they're coming back," said Nami.

At the same moment, Zoro and Robin walked in hand-in-hand. Robin had the brightest grin, and Zoro looked somewhat relieved for some reason. From Nami's view, she could tell they probably worked something out.

"Shall we go back home?" suggested Nami.

"I'll walk Nojiko home," said Ace.

"Well, then, I guess I can walk you guys to your place. I'd feel lonely here without Ace," said Sabo.

While everyone was exiting out the door, Nami stayed by the entrance until one specific person walked by. Thankfully, it was Sabo.

"Um, Sabo, can I talk to you for a second?" asked Nami.

"Sure, Nami! What's up?" With the others heading home, they can talk in privacy. Nami wouldn't want the others finding out about Sabo's 'secret.' The only problem was, she couldn't find the words to begin. Sabo noticed her insecurity, and took it as a chance for opportunity. "Huh? Should I walk you home alone? Without the rest of the crew?"

When Nami looked up to meet his eyes, Sabo felt like he just got punched again. He was clutching his chest and taking a step back due to the surprise. Nami noticed, and thought of it as another reaction to his 'sickness' like that time on the train.

"Sabo! I'm sorry!"

Sabo shifted his eyes. Now, he was confused. "Huh? What for?"

"I didn't understand your feelings, and I should've noticed earlier. Please, forgive me."

Sabo had no idea how to respond to that. Let alone, he had no idea what she was talking about either. "Uh, what are you going on about, Nami? What are you so worked up about-"

"But, I don't want you to die!"

"Eh? Sabo died?" Luffy exited the bar just in time to hear Nami's last words.

"I'M ALIVE!"

"But, Luffy, you said "Sabo's already...""

Luffy seemed confused. He turned to Sabo, and his conversation with Nami during lunch immediately came to his mind. "Ohhh! My eye was itchy, so I stopped halfway."

"But you seemed a bit down while we were out the whole day!"

Luffy blushed. "That's about a whole other matter."

"But, I heard Sabo's conversation with Ace when they were heading to the bathroom."

"Ace and I were playing video games last night, so I didn't get much sleep."

"So, I misunderstood?"

"Looks like it," Sabo and Luffy said in unison.

Nami felt like a huge weight was being lifted off her shoulders. She felt exhausted, causing her to faint. Luckily, Sabo and Luffy caught her arms before she hit the ground.

"Nami!"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm so glad," Nami murmured. "I'm so glad it was just a misunderstanding."

Sabo looked away. "You were that worried about me-EH?!"

When Sabo turned back around, Nami was back on her feet, having a conversation with Luffy.

"Are you sure you're okay?" asked Nami.

"I'll be fine if I get some rest."

"Now that I look at it, you're eyes a kinda pink." Nami didn't realize she had moved closer to Luffy just to get a closer look at his eyes, but Luffy surely did. Not only his eyes, but she got a closer of his cheeks which were stained with pink. She looked back at his eyes and just now noticed the gap difference. Nami shot herself back to give them some distance. "U-Um, I got a text for Marguerite. She said the school is strict, but she's gotten to know everyone in the crew and she loves it there."

"R-Really, that's good."

Off to the side, Sabo noticed the uneasy and tense atmosphere between the two. He's been noticing that a lot throughout the day, actually. He could tell there was something going on between them.

-x-x-

The class was silent. The morning bell rang ten minutes ago and Ace hasn't shown up yet. Sure there were times when he'd be a couple minutes late, then rant on about something annoying in his life, then make any announcements. But now, it was dead silent and nobody knew what to do.

"Luffy?" Bonnie turned to the Straw Hat captain for answers. He replied with a shrug. They were on the same level. He doubted he overslept because Sabo's there, so there must be another reason.

"Should one of us go to the office?" asked Nami.

"What does it matter?" said Kidd. "I like it better this way."

"Unlike some of us, there are people here who are serious about One Piece," Luffy said in Nami's defense.

"Did you text him?" asked Vivi.

"Yeah, he said something came up in the main office and Rayleigh needed him for something."

"That's strange." Suddenly, the entrance slid open, in walking Ace. But he wasn't alone. A red-haired man stepped in right after Ace.

Luffy stood up in surprise. "Tou-chan! You're back! What are you doing here?"

Shanks smiled. "Nice to see you too, son."

"Remember when I told you that each class has two homeroom teachers?" said Ace.

"What about it?"

"Well, I'd like to introduce you to my new partner. Dad-er, Shanks will be your second homeroom teacher."

Everyone, especially the Straw Hats, were astonished. Shanks, one of the members of Gold Roger's crew, a man who led his crew to one step behind One Piece was going to be their homeroom teacher. Not only him, but there was Ace as well. He hasn't been with the Whitebeard crew for long, but he's had a lot of experience, meaning he's watched his captain and learned a lot from him. Both Whitebeard's crew and Shanks' crew were the closest to reaching One Piece. So, having both Shanks and Ace as their homeroom teachers was a huge deal.

"I never understood why the media makes a big deal about it, but now I can see why Luffy's so famous," said a member of a crew. "Having Shanks as a father and Ace as a brother, seeing it up close, its amazing! It looks so much cooler up close than in the papers!"

"T-Tou-chan, you're really..."

"This will be my first year as a homeroom teacher, but don't worry. I'll make sure one of you reaches One Piece next year."

If only this was our senior year in college, was what everyone in the room was currently thinking. Its been decided, Shanks and Portgas D. Ace are officially partners. Once this school year ends, one, two, or maybe even three will be fortunate enough to have these two as their homeroom teachers next year.

-x-x-

"Wouldn't you call this cheating?" Shanks asked jokingly. It was the end of his first day as a homeroom teacher, and he was currently walking home with his two sons.

"Ace! Why didn't you tell me Tou-chan was our second homeroom teacher?!"

"Like I knew! I only found out this morning!"

"By the way, when did you get back from your honeymoon?" asked Luffy. "I thought you wouldn't be back for another couple days."

"We never planned on having a long honeymoon anyway. Besides, who knows what you three would've gotten yourselves into if we stayed longer."

"So, you know about Sabo being back?"

"'Know?'"

Ace chuckled. "While they've been gone, he's been sleeping on their bed. Mom was happy to see him, but Dad literally kicked him out of their bed last night."

"We come home at one in the morning and I find someone sleeping on my bed. I don't care if its my son or not, that's _my_ bed."

"Your bed loves you too, Dad."

The trio walked into the bar to see Makino and Sabo working a full house. Every table was full and the two were being worked to the bone.

"Ah! Welcome home! We're a little busy, so you three go rest in the living room," said Makino.

"Don't overwork yourself, Kaa-chan." Luffy quickly hugged his mom from behind then led the way towards the back.

"It wasn't that busy when I was working there alone," said Ace.

"Probably because Kaa-chan's back now. She's prettier than you."

Luffy plopped down on the couch, bringing his legs up and taking the whole couch for himself. Ace and Shanks had to take the couch across from him.

"So, Luffy. How's things with you and Nami? Or are you going out with that blonde girl now?" asked Shanks.

"Jeez, why does everything think Marguerite's my girlfriend? She never was! I still love Nami!"

"'Still?' As in, you're not going out with Nami now?"

"Luffy got rejected," Ace said with a chuckle.

"Wha, Seriously?"

"What makes it even worse, my brother has a thing for her," Luffy murmured.

Shanks was taken back by surprise. He turned to Ace, who shot up in surprise by Shanks' assumption.

"It's not me!"

"Wait, Sabo? Really? He likes Nami?"

"I'm happy Sabo's back, but I didn't think this would happen. They've been getting really close lately."

"Yeah. He even has her number," Ace added.

"Since when?!"

"Since the day we went to Shibuya?"

"I didn't know about that!"

"Don't you want Nami back?" asked Shanks.

"Of course I do!"

"Then why are you letting Sabo trample over you like you're not even worth the competition. Have I not taught you anything since you joined the dojo?"

Luffy sat up, but his straw hat covered his expression. "...We're going to Dreamland soon. Sabo's coming too, but its the perfect opportunity to win Nami back."

"Just promise me something." Shanks leaned closer. "Don't get into a big fight with your brother. Consider his feelings as well."

* * *

**03.01.13**

**Have you guys read the latest chapter? Omg! I was ****mind blown and fangirling at the same time. Its true, Ace will never die. There's so much build up, I wonder how Oda will portray them all. **


	13. Chapter 13

"Eh? Dreamland? I've never been there before."

Everyone stopped what they were doing. The Straw Hats currently present turned their heads to their orange-headed friend in disbelief. Usopp, having been the one to ask her, was immediately caught by surprise by her response.

"S-Seriously? You've never been to Dreamland?"

Nami thought about it. "Um, Bellemere-san meant to take us when we were little, but we never had enough money for all three of us to go."

At the mention of her mother, everyone knew not to go any further with the topic of Bellemere. Nami has never shed a tear or acted any differently whenever her foster mother was brought up, but they all knew she was just hiding it inside.

"Now you can come with us!" said Chopper. "I haven't been there in years!"

"When are we going anyway?" asked Franky.

"Luffy said we're going this weekend. Even Sabo's coming along! Its going to be so much fun!"

"Sabo's coming too?" Nami murmured.

Vivi and Robin walked in together. Zoro immediately noticed the gloomy expression on his girlfriend's face.

"What's wrong?"

"Robin-san and I can't go to Dreamland with you guys," said Vivi.

"Did something happen, Vivi-chan?" Sanji questioned.

"Cobra's been having some business issues and he wants the both of us to come and support him," explained Robin. "It shouldn't be something serious. The casino's been very successful the past few years. I'm not worried."

At the same moment, Luffy walked in overhearing what just Robin said.

"Bummer. He should be fine though. I don't see anything going wrong with the Alabasta," said Luffy. He plopped down on the couch next to Chopper, making the youngest Straw Hat leap off his seat due to Luffy's impact.

"How are Shanks and Makino?" asked Sanji.

"Its like they never left. They acted as if they were married way before they even got married, probably because they've been together before I came along."

"Then baby Luffy popped up on their doorstep, and everything went wrong in their lives," Sanji said in a teasing tone.

"That's not true."

"Oh sorry. First it was Sabo and Ace, and then you."

Luffy pursued his lips. "I can't say anything to that because its true."

-x-x-

Finally stepping through the gate, Nami caught a magnificent view of Dreamland, at least from where she stood. The scenery was nothing compared to the pictures or what was on TV. It was gigantic, and truly magnificent.

"What should we go on first?!" said Chopper. Excitement was written all over the kid's face and it looked like he was high on sugar before they even came here.

"Nami? Where would you like to go on first?" Sabo asked considerately.

Nami shrugged. She hasn't been here before, therefore she didn't know what this place had to offer.

"We should go on all of them!" exclaimed Usopp.

"Baka! We only have one day here," said Sanji.

"You lead the way," said Nami.

Luffy smiled. "Let's go."

There were a lot the park offered that Nami already anticipated for. There were the tea cups, a huge princess-like castle, a water park, and a haunted mansion-which Nami wasn't so pumped about. There were families everywhere, but in spite of that, there were a lot of couples too. She felt strange being the only girl with a group of guys.

"I haven't been here in years!" said Sabo. "I wonder what's changed."

"You act awfully excited for a man in his early twenties," said Sanji.

"You'd be jumping around too if Vivi was here," Zoro sneered.

As he was leading the group, from the corner of his eye, Luffy could see Sabo walking closer to Nami. He could hear their conversation clearly. He asked that they leave the group and go off on their own together, but Nami declined his offer. Luffy pursed his lips. He glanced at Franky who was drinking a chocolate shake he bought from before they set foot here. The big muscle head met his eyes. Franky glanced at Nami and accidentally tripped, causing his shake to spill on Nami's clothes.

Nami gasped. She stepped away from Franky as the cold ice seeped through her clothes. "Franky!"

"Gomen, Nami!"

"Grr, what am I going to do now?"

Luffy nodded to Usopp.

Careful not to touch the ice on her skin, Usopp touched her shoulders and pushed her towards the nearest bathroom. "Let's get you changed."

"But I don't have any spare clothes.."

"It's fine. Vivi packed you an extra outfit incase you were to go on the wet rides."

"She di-" Usopp shoved her into the bathroom. He turned around and gave his captain the thumbs up.

Luffy crossed his arms. "Franky, Brook."

Sabo lightly tilted his hat. "Man, I hope Nami's o-"

Franky and Brook slipped an arm through Sabo's and dragged him away from the group.

"Let's go, Onii-chan! You said you haven't been here in years. Let's go on as many rides as we can!" said Franky.

"But I wanted to go with Na-"

"Oh look!" Brook pointed. "It's the haunted mansion! Let's go!"

-x-

Nami stepped out of the bathroom wearing a white sun dress. Compared to her last outfit, a shirt and shorts, this was a bit unexpected. She glanced up and noticed the group's disappearance. Luffy, Sabo, Zoro, everyone was gone. This was making Nami feel anxious. Having no knowledge of what's where, she stayed in a place where its more open, hoping that at least someone will find her.

"Nami!" Usopp appeared from the crowd. Nami sighed in relief to see at least one person from the group.

"Where are the others?" asked Nami.

"I don't know. They just disappeared all of a sudden. I tried looking for them, but I guess we got separated."

"Should we wait for them?"

Usopp shrugged. "Why wait here for maybe hours when we could go on the rides!"

Nami sighed. "If you say so."

"Man, its been a long time since I came here! We should play a lot today! Which ride should we go on first? How about the roller coaster that makes people scream?" Usopp could see the fear in Nami's eyes. He smiled comfortingly. "How about the ones that aren't scary then?"

"You sure?" asked Nami. "I mean.."

"Hm? You think I won't like it? As long as I'm with you, I'm happy wherever I go!" Usopp took her hand and dragged her through the crowd. In the end, they went on the ride with the most loops and turns. Nami was on the bench panting. A ride like that shouldn't be in an amusement park for kids.

"Usopp, maybe we should find the others now.." When Nami looked up, her long-nosed friend was no where in sight. "Usopp?"

"What are you doing?"

Nami peered up. She was still dizzy from the ride, but she could see a hint of green hair on the person's head. "Zoro? Where's Usopp?"

"Don't know. Haven't seen him. Should we go?" Nami sighed. She followed closely behind him so she wouldn't fall behind. "What do you want to do? Go on another ride? I'm fine with anything, just go to the one you'll like most."

"Really? Even if it was the kiddiest one?"

"Well, I doubt you'd want to go on that one anyway." Zoro smirked. "Then again, you _are_ you."

Nami scoffed. "Fine! I'll find the scariest ride and we're going on it together!"

Zoro chuckled. Nami searched around for any scary rides like the last one she went on. Because she wasn't really familiar with the place, it was hard to look around, let alone know where she was going.

When Zoro glanced back, he saw her disappearing into the crowd. He sighed and grabbed her hand. "Don't wander around. You'll get lost."

Nami pursed her lips. "I'm not a kid."

"Maybe we should get something to eat first."

"You're hungry?"

"No. Its for when we ride the "scariest ride" we'll see who throws up first." Nami exhaled deeply. Bets were all Zoro thought up. Even without a job, he still manages to make money through bets. It surprises Nami that Robin can handle him.

They walked into a little food court. The tables were filled with kids and their parents having lunch as well as couples sharing their lunch with one another. How depressing, but Nami couldn't help but wonder if Zoro felt lonely without Robin.

"Grab us a table. I'll order," said Zoro.

Nami nodded. When she went to go look for a table, she found another familiar face sitting at one of the tables alone. "Chopper!"

"Ah! Nami!" Chopper beamed when he saw her. He waved for her to come over.

"I'm so glad to see you! I was just with Zoro and-"

"Zoro? Where?"

"Over..." Nami's voice trailed off. When she turned around, her swordsman friend was no where to be seen. She sighed heavily. "Never mind."

"Do you want to eat with me? You look hungry."

Without question, Nami sat down and took his spare chopsticks. "First Usopp, then Zoro. Those boys are driving me all over the place! Have you seen the others? Usopp and Zoro disappeared on me."

"Can't say I have. The others are crazy. They'd go on the scariest rides and come out like nothing's happened."

"I'm glad you see it my way too." Nami was eating so much, Chopper saw a grain of rice stuck on the corner of her lip.

"You have something here." Chopper reached up and wiped it away with a finger. Nami blushed from embarrassment. She took a napkin and covered her mouth.

"Sorry. I'm eating all your food."

Chopper smiled. "I don't mind. When we're done, you want to try out the games? Maybe the souvenir shop? You know, something that doesn't have to do with adrenaline rush?"

Nami laughed. "Let's do it."

-x-x-

Sabo and Franky stared at the nearly dead Brook lying on the bench. On a simple ride like the teacups, Brook felt overwhelmed, probably because Sabo and Franky were spinning the cup like crazy.

"You okay, Brook? It wasn't that bad," said Sabo.

"With his body being so skinny, he practically looks dead," said Franky.

"What should we do?" Franky hoisted his boney friend over his shoulder and continued walking.

"Where to next?"

"Say Franky, shouldn't we regroup with the others now?"

"No way! We're having the time of our lives right now! Why? You don't like us?"

"Nooo.." Sabo sighed. "So, what ride should we go on next?"

-x-x-

Nami exhaled heavily. "Sanji-kun, could you please tell me what happened to Chopper?"

"Chopper? Where?"

Nami rubbed her temple. So far, every time she coincidentally meets someone from the crew, they suddenly disappear right after. She and Chopper were heading towards a souvenir shop when she lost him in the crowd. Magically, Sanji appeared before her.

"Looks like you've had a rough day. Should we ride the merry go round? When its just us two, I'll treat you like a princess today. I'll take you to Starlight Theater with a huge surprise up my sleeve."

Nami furrowed her brows. Sanji was acting awfully weird without Vivi around. Aside from what Vivi would feel when she hears about this, Nami was feeling uneasy about all of this, especially with that "surprise" he mentioned. Nami wrapped her arm around Sanji's tightly, just in case he were to disappear as well.

Sanji's lips quivered, but avoided laughter, otherwise his act would be blown.

While walking towards the theater, they passed through a handful of people walking the opposite direction. Nami was losing her grip on Sanji, but the flow of the people was strong.

"S-Sanji-kun.." Nami screamed when she felt someone drag her away by taking her free hand. "H-Hey-!"

"Nami, look! The parade's about to start!" Nami recognized that voice. She felt confused, yet safe knowing that she was with him now. But having him drag her all over the place was a bit annoying. "Let's go!"

Having no control of her pace, Nami lost her footing. She accidentally pulled Luffy's arm back when she tripped.

"Oi..!" Luffy turned back, and at the perfect moment, he caught her in his arms.

"What are you doing?"

"Who told you to drag me all over the place?" Nami said irritably. "Could you let me go?"

Luffy closed his eyes. Rather than granting her wish, he wrapped his arms around her waist. He placed a hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer. "I want to keep you in my arms forever."

Nami's eyes widened.

"I've seen the way Sabo has been looking at you, and it reminded me of when I first fell in love with you. I know you wanted to take things slow, but I just can't wait any longer. Even if I haven't earned your trust yet, I want you next to me again."

"Luffy.."

"It pisses me off seeing you with another man, even if its my brother. There isn't anyone that means more to me than you do. Leaving for two years was something I had to do, but my biggest regret was leaving you and ending what we had. I want you back.."

Luffy was caught off guard by a kiss. He was even more shocked that it was Nami that had made the first move. Nami slipped her arms through and caressed his cheeks. She pulled him closer where Luffy leaned into the kiss. Sparks flew, a feeling Luffy hasn't been able to feel in years. He missed it, yet here he is now.

When Nami pulled away, Luffy was utterly puzzled. Nami didn't removed her hands from his cheeks, but she smiled when she saw his expression.

"You did earn me back."

* * *

**After nearly a month of writer's block, I've written this whole chapter in one day. I feel so accomplished. (;**

**Sorry for the wait guys, but I've got so much in my bag of ideas right now and I'm on a role with these ideas. In other words, new stories! And one is currently on the way that I'm sure you guys will love (;**


	14. Chapter 14

"I wonder where the others could be," said Sabo. "Its just been us three the whole day."

"No kidding. I think Brook's dead anyway," said Franky, who was still carrying Brook over his shoulder. Suddenly, Franky felt his pocket vibrate. He took out his phone and checked his texts. "Sanji wants us to regroup at the entrance. I guess we're done for the day."

"Ehh? But I didn't get to spend time with Nami!"

Franky shrugged.

Sabo followed behind Franky. Time went by incredibly fast and he didn't even notice it. When they reached the entrance, everyone had already gathered. The first thing Sabo saw was the intertwined hands of Luffy and Nami. "D-Did something happen?"

Luffy tried to hide a smile. "Nothing special really."

"Are you guys..together?" The couple tried to avoid his question by avoiding his eyes.

Zoro chuckled. "Shall we go home? I'm sure the new love birds want some alone time together."

"Huh? Love birds? What's going on?!"

-x-

When they neared the entrance to their mansion, Ace was waiting outside for them. The first thing he noticed was the couple's intertwined hands as well. Luffy waved to him, but he was attacked by Ace. He was put into a choke hold, causing him to lose his breath.

"You actually pulled through! I've never been so proud to call you my brother!" said Ace.

Luffy coughed. "Did you expect anything less? I can make anything happen."

"After what happened today, I believe you." Ace released his hold on him.

"What are you doing here, Ace?" asked Nami. "..Not trying to be rude or anything."

"Maybe we are. Our homeroom teacher is stalking us at night," said Zoro.

"I'm just here to take Sabo home," said Ace. He grabbed his older brother by the back of his neck and pushed him towards the direction of their home. "Let's go, bro."

"I'm sure Vivi and Robin will be happy to hear the good news!" said Chopper.

"I wonder if they're back yet," Sanji murmured.

"Then again, we already knew you'd get back together eventually," said Usopp. Nami was blushing a deep tomato red. Luffy resisted the urge to punch his crew mates in the face. It was just like when they first started going out two years ago, nothing's changed.

Meanwhile, Ace noticed Sabo hasn't said anything since he picked up him. His hands were stuffed in his pockets. His head was tilted down to where his hat covered his eyes.

"You haven't said anything all night," said Ace.

"Am I supposed to?"

"Well, yea. What happened at Dreamland?"

Sabo smirked. "Something I anticipated for. It went better than I thought."

Ace chuckled. "I guess both your plan and Luffy's plan pulled through. You giving him a little push wasn't such a bad idea. Burt, this isn't why you came back, is it? You're not leaving again, are you?"

"Partially. Of course I'm not leaving yet. What? Did you think I was a hit and run?"

Ace patted his back. "Good to have you back, buddy."

Everyone felt exhausted after the long day at Dreamland, but now, the one thing the Straw Hats were worried about were Vivi and Robin. Both haven't returned nor called and it was starting to worry the boyfriends, especially since it was so late already.

"Maybe we should go over to the casino," Sanji suggested. "They're not answering they're phones. Maybe something did go wrong."

"Leave them alone. They'll call if something comes up," said Zoro.

"Aren't you worried?" asked Nami.

"Of course I am, but what can I do? Its only our problem if they involve us too."

"Exactly what I was going to say," said Luffy, who was glaring at Zoro for acting like the captain right in front of his eyes.

-x-

Nami texted Marguerite a long text of what happened earlier. She couldn't sleep. With Vivi and Robin gone, she had to tell another girl about what happened today. Marguerite was the one to mention second chances to her in the first place. Then again, Marguerite did say she too had feelings for Luffy. Nami started to grow anxious. It was an hour after midnight and she was bothering another girl about her love life.

She jumped when her phone vibrated.

"_Well done! I'm proud of you! Expect a visit from me real soon! (;_"

Nami smiled.

In the room next door, Luffy had difficulty trying to sleep as well. How could he when the day he would have Nami back in his arms has finally happened. Never did he think that his plan would actually work. He couldn't get his mind off it and it was driving him crazy. He just wanted to go to sleep now and wake up to seeing her face again, even through she's right next door.

Everything's back to the way it used to be before they separated. For that, he was really thankful for. Right now, he'd sneak over to her room and jump on her, but he had a feeling she might just hit him for waking her. But to his surprise, Nami knocked on the door and stepped in.

"Luffy, are you asleep?" Nami whispered.

"If I am?" Luffy teased.

"I'm coming in anyway." Luffy chuckled. He scooted away from the middle of the bed to make room for her. Nami ran over and climbed in with him. As soon as she lied down, Luffy wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his face into her neck.

"Can't sleep?" Luffy murmured into her shoulder.

"I'm just not tired. Its hard to sleep when there's so much on my mind right now."

"I know the feeling."

"...I texted Marguerite."

Luffy cocked an eyebrow. "And what'd she say?"

"We should be expecting her sometime very soon."

Luffy sighed. "Just when I thought I got rid of her."

Nami lightly punched him. "I'm telling her that."

Luffy chuckled. "Go ahead. She knows she gets on my nerves sometimes, and she doesn't care."

"Luffy, what made you think I would go out with Sabo?"

"Haven't you seen the way he's been looking at you ever since he got here? I love him and all, but it was getting under my skin. It ticked me off whenever he looked at you that way."

"I did notice him trying to flirt with me, but it wasn't like I had any feelings back for him. If he asked me out, I probably would've said no."

Luffy looked away. "...Still."

Nami giggled. Luffy buried his face into her shoulders again. He didn't want to admit it, but ever since Sabo came back, he's been acting pretty selfish when it comes to Nami. He never really did consider her feelings. He only kept his eyes on Sabo and what he did around Nami. Granted, he was envious of his brother. Even though he did get to travel around the world with Rayleigh for his training, he wanted the freedom his older brother had.

Suddenly, they hear a small beep, indicating the gate opening. The couple immediately got up and ran down the stairs. They didn't want a repeat of what happened last time. When they got down the stairs, they saw Usopp, and everyone else living downstairs, up and awake after hearing the beep as well.

"Did you see who it was through the monitor?" asked Luffy.

"Missed it," said Franky.

"Relax, it's just Robin and Vivi," said Zoro who was walking down the stairs followed by Sanji.

"They're just coming home now? Its already so late," said Nami.

When Robin and Vivi stepped through the front door, they didn't expect everyone to be awake and waiting for them. In fact, they were hoping to just step in without having to bother any of them. But considering how late it was, they assumed everyone needed an explanation.

"So, what happened?" asked Usopp.

Vivi's shoulders fell. "Honestly, I don't know. My father didn't want us involved, because if we are, he knows all of you will get involved as well, and he didn't want that."

"So he just kicked you out?" asked Sanji.

"Pretty much," said Robin.

Franky yawned while rubbing the back of his head. "Well, if the old man doesn't want us involved, then we shouldn't get involved. I'm going to bed."

Vivi sighed, and looked down with a long face. Sanji sighed. He lightly patted her head.

"Don't let it get it to you. The old geezer's just keeping you out of trouble."

"He'll let us know when he needs us," Zoro reassured Robin. Her shoulders fell. She followed Luffy and Nami up the stairs until she caught something totally unexpected. She nearly missed a step when she stopped and gazed up. Zoro, who was right behind her, immediately stopped when she did to prevent his face from meeting her rear.

"Robin?"

Vivi peeked over Zoro's shoulder and saw what she was staring at. She gasped in surprise. "No way! Nami, you and Luffy...!"

Nami turned around. She saw their puzzled expressions, then looked down and noticed she was still holding Luffy's hand. She gasped and let go of his hand from embarrassment.

Vivi squealed and snaked through Zoro and Robin. "You're back together?! So the plan worked!"

Luffy rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "Well.."

"Tell me! Tell me!" Vivi grinned. She took Nami and Robin's arms and dragged them to her room. Before she lost sight of him, Nami looked back and pulled off an apologizing expression to Luffy.

"So, have you called Sabo yet?" asked Zoro. Luffy shook his head.

"I'll head over there after school tomorrow."

The next morning, Luffy pretty much made it official to the whole school when he walked hand-in-hand with his girlfriend down the hallways of the university. They were the highlight of the day as soon as they stepped through the gate.

Everywhere she went, Nami could see girls keeping to themselves, but she knew they were talking about her recent hook up with her captain. She knew. She knew that Luffy, Zoro, and even Sanji were on top of the girls' lists of potential boyfriends in the university. They had looks, grades -not so sure how Zoro fits in this category-, strength, and a reputation no girl can pass up. Out of all of them, Luffy was the main target.

What is there to not like about the Straw Hat captain? His child-like nature made him lovable. Although he may not have a physique body like Franky or Zoro, his strength was proven tremendously at Nationals two years ago, earning him the title of the most possible candidate for earning One Piece. Not to mention, his reputation, popularity, and fame went through the roof after Nationals. All this leads to that question again: what is there to not like about Luffy?

Aside from all the girls eyeing her boyfriend, she didn't need to worry, because she knew Luffy would never betray her. That was proven to her when he tried desperately winning her back.

Before homeroom started, Luffy pulled Ace out of the classroom.

"What do you need me for?" asked Ace.

"How's Sabo?"

The corner of Ace's lips twitched into a smirk. He was trying hard not to laugh, otherwise he knew his little brother would suspect something. "What do you mean?"

"When he came home from Dreamland, has he said anything?"

"About?" Ace teased.

Luffy glared. "You know what I'm talking about."

Ace chuckled. "He's fine. Don't worry."

"Really? What'd he say?"

"Nothing, just that he's really happy for you both.. then he went to bed."

Luffy furrowed his brows. He wasn't expecting that at all. "He's not mad?"

"Why would he be?"

"You saw the way he was lookin-"

Ace threw his arm over Luffy's shoulders. "He's fine, trust me. If you want proof, stop by after school. There, you'll find out that you should listen to me more."

Luffy eyed him. "If I did, I'd end up like you."

"And who doesn't want that?"

* * *

**Sorry its so late. Prom's tomorrow, and a lot of things are going on in my life right now ^\\\^**


	15. Chapter 15

As soon as the final bell rang, rather than heading home with the others, Luffy took a detour to the bar. He needed to know what was going on with Sabo and why Ace hasn't been saying much. Whenever he would mention Sabo's feelings towards his and Nami's relationship, he'd notice the corners of Ace's lips quiver. In other words, he was trying hard not to laugh, but it was pretty obvious he wanted to. It also means Ace is a terrible actor.. and there was no way he would ever want to be like him.

Once he finally got to the bar, he stepped into a packed place. It was the usual guys from around the neighborhood with a couple new buddies. Luffy would've been worried about Makino being in a room filled with these guys if it weren't for Sabo working here now. When he finally spotted his blonde brother working behind the counter, Luffy approached him.

"Sabo, can we talk?"

"Sure," replied Sabo while wiping off a glass. "What about?"

Luffy nodded towards the entrance. While he made his way back to the entrance, Makino spotted him. "Oh, Luffy. Did you need something?"

Luffy stopped at the front door and smiled back politely at his mother. "I just needed to talk to Sabo."

"Well, would you like to stay for dinner?" Makino laughed. "It still feels weird saying that to you. Bring Nami too. I heard what happened between you two."

"Tou-chan wants me at the dojo tonight, so maybe tomorrow-"

"I'm sure your father will understand."

"But Rayleigh.." Luffy stopped himself. If he were to disappoint one of his parents, he could never disappoint his mother. Makino is such a fragile and kind women, he couldn't do anything to ruin that. Also, he knew he could take on his father now. He might not be on equal par as him, but he could handle him even if he was going to end up beaten in the end. "Okay, but you're telling Tou-chan though."

"He'll understand." Makino winked.

Sabo purposely bumped into his youngest brother, urging him to move. Luffy stepped out. They walked a few feet from the bar where no one inside could possibly here them.

"So, what's up?" asked Luffy.

Sabo cocked an eyebrow. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? You came here after all."

"Why are you so calm? Aren't you mad after yesterday?"

Sabo furrowed his brows, until he realized what he was talking about. Luffy could see his reaction clearly. Like Ace, the corners of his lips quivered and twitched. Because of that, Luffy's eyelids dropped halfway.

"Calm? I am _furious_! How could you guys ditch me at Dreamland? I bet you guys got all touchy when no one was looking. You know what? I'm beyond furious! Nami was my_ first love_!"

Luffy sighed. He could sense the sarcasm in his tone. Now, he finally understood the situation between them. Sabo knew all along.

"Sabo stop. You don't have to keep pretending anymore. I know."

The oldest brother smirked. "Ace has been filling me in on everything that's been going on here since I left a looong time ago. What kind of older brother would I be if I didn't know these things?"

As a result, Luffy hit him upside the head.

"Then again, since you didn't figure it out until now, that must mean I'm a brilliant actor. You should really look up to me more."

"You and Ace are one and the same."

"Thanks!"

"That wasn't meant to be a compliment."

Sabo chuckled. "So, how's it going with you two? Did anything happen?"

Luffy glared at him. "And what do you mean by that?"

Sabo nudged him and raised an eyebrow. "C'mon, you know what I mean."

"I can't believe you, going into that kind of topic just like that. I'm telling our mother on you." Luffy scoffed and walked into the bar with his nose held high. "Mother dearest!"

Sabo shook his head. From the front, Ace walked over. His bag hung over one shoulder while the sleeves of his white button up shirt was rolled up. Sabo just eyed him as he got closer. There was no way -even his appearance showed it- that Ace could be a teacher.

"So, how was work?" asked Sabo.

"They make me feel old."

"If you say it like that, you're making me sound older," said Shanks who had approached them.

"You are old," said Sabo.

"Let me hear that again and we'll see what you're having for dinner tonight."

"Ha! I could just go out and eat tonight. Better yet, I'd just go over to the mansion tonight."

"I wouldn't do that," said Ace. "Sanji wouldn't like that."

"Its not like he'll do anything to me."

"Then you obviously haven't been to the Baratie."

"And you're not touching my food!" Luffy yelled through the open door.

"All that food's not yours!"

"My house, my food!"

Makino facepalmed. Whether they were out in public or not, her sons could care less whether they embarrassed her or not. Right now, her customers were entertained by their bickering and use of profanity. They maybe her sons, but she would kick them out right now without hesitation if her guests weren't enjoying the little show they brought to the stage.

Shanks, who sat on one of the counter's chairs, was observing everything with a thoughtful look on his face. While wiping off the counter from behind, she noticed her husband's smile.

"Hun, what are you thinking about?" asked Makino.

"Those boys, they remind me of myself when I was their age."

"When you were still in Roger's crew?"

"With another member. I wonder where he is now."

"Are you talking about the man with a big red fake nose?"

Shanks chuckled. "Its real."

A couple more hours passed and it was finally time for dinner. Like before, the dinner table was loud and chaotic, but nothing compared to their mansion. The three boys would fight for the same piece of chicken. Shanks was keeping a whole set of food to himself, and Makino was either trying to eat in piece, or splitting up the three. Overall, Nami loved it. This was a place Luffy grew up in, and because of that, she loved it when she got to live his lifestyle for a bit.

Back at the mansion, the Straw Hats were having their own dinner. Aside from Luffy and Nami, Sanji, Usopp, and Chopper, Brook, and Franky were absent to the table as well due to work, but Sanji prepared a meal for the remaining Straw Hats before he left. While Sanji and Franky still worked at the same jobs they had last year, the other three found new jobs in hopes of making more money for the crew.

Brook got a new job at a cafe where he got to perform every hour. Nonetheless, Brook was having the time of his life. He has the chance to do what he loves and get paid doing it. The manager pays him big money. The reason for that is because the "Soul King" managed to make his business a success. Now, there are more and more people coming into his cafe to eat and to see Brook perform. By this, Brook's reputation as part of the Straw Hats was growing.

Chopper took an apprentice job at a nearby hospital. In hopes of becoming a great doctor, he needed to know everything on his own and through observation. All his life, his father figure and his grandma taught him everything he knows this far, but he wanted to further his studies on the field. By doing so, he's becoming a great doctor everyday.

Along with his father, Usopp works in their family store. The store has already had great success due to Yasopp's popularity from when he was in Shanks' crew, but with the addition of Usopp, the gadgets store has gained more attention. It used to be located near their home which was just done the street, but since it always overflowed with people, they moved the store downtown in Shibuya where they got a bigger store and even more customers. Usopp loved his job, and there was no sign of him ever leaving that place.

Before, Sanji used to work as a waiter and chef at the Baratie, but after showing signs of great improvement after the two years he was away, Sanji was promoted to a rank just below Zeffs. It was good for the owner because now, Sanji doesn't have to attack every single guest that insults their food. Their menu had a few installations and to the guests, there was something new about the food that they just couldn't explain. Because of Sanji's reputation, the restaurant has gained attention from the celebrities and the girls. Zeff and the other chefs and waiters needed to take an extra close eye on him this time.

Although Iceburg was the CEO of their "Rocketman" business, Franky had the ability to do whatever he wanted under his older brother's permission. His speed for building a motor or just creating something new from scratch has improved. Overall, their company's popularity has grown, as if it wasn't popular already.

While each one of those boys are working hard, the remaining three Straw Hats stayed at home, having their dinner. Since it was just the three of them, they decided to have their dinner in the loft upstairs and have a movie night. While eating her dinner, Vivi couldn't help but worry about her father. Its been a whole day since she last saw him and she hasn't had any contact with him since. She still has no idea what's going on with the casino.

"Robin, I'm still worried," said Vivi. "Papa's completely shutting us out."

"Have you tried calling him?" asked Zoro.

"A million times. He's not answering his phone. Igaram's not answering his phone either, and when he does, he won't stop apologizing."

"Hmm," Robin gulped down her drink then stood from her seat. "Since its just the three of us tonight, why don't we all go down there. There shouldn't be any harm, and if anybody gets in our way, Zoro can just hit them."

"Oi oi, you're clearly sending me off to jail with that last part."

"But you're a "Straw Hat," they wouldn't throw you in jail if it meant ruining your reputation. You're on a label of a gum company without you even realizing it."

"I'm a gum?"

"So, Vivi, shall we go?"

Vivi sighed. She followed Robin to the front door. Zoro, on the other hand, was still baffled by his new popularity.

"Wait! Am I really a gum?!"

Taking Zoro's bike wouldn't fit all three of them, and their car would probably be a hassle since its always crazy downtown at this time of the night. Taking the bus was their last option. On the ride there, Zoro was still questioning the girls about this new discovery, Vivi replied that it was all just a joke. Robin received a scolding for lying to him.

Once they got to the stop, they headed towards the casino. When they got closer, their theory was right, there were a whole bunch of people present. Not just ordinary tourists, but there were black cars parked at the front and a couple men dressed in black suits.

"Friends of your father?" asked Zoro.

Vivi, followed by the others, ran towards the main entrance where the men in black were practically surrounding the entire building. Vivi could tell that the tourists coming and going were feeling concerned about all of this. No reports of this has gone out yet, so she had no idea what was happening. The three of them snaked through the entrance and darted for his office. Just like any other day, the casino was packed full of tourists and locals coming to gamble.

When they finally reached the hallway leading to his office, Pell was keeping guard. The head of security was surprised upon their arrival. "What are you three doing here?!"

"Where's my father?" asked a frantic Vivi.

"H-He's.. I can't say."

"Pell, I don't think now's the best time to keep us out. We have the right to know what's going on," said Robin.

"And its the opposite reason why I'm keeping you out here! Your father doesn't want you getting involved! I thought he made that clear to you yesterday!"

"Now or later, we're bound to find out whats going on anyway," said Zoro. "You know how Luffy reacts towards those around him."

At the mention of Luffy's name, Pell grew hesitant. Taking the opportunity, Zoro pushed Pell aside. Vivi and Robin sprinted for the door. Zoro and Pell wrestled on the ground for Pell's freedom. When the girls were halfway there, Zoro shoved Pell off of him and ran after them.

When they bursted through his office door, Zoro closed the door tight and locked it. He sighed heavily knowing that he won't have to deal with him for now. Pell was strong, which was why he was chosen as head of security. Getting passed him would be impossible.

Now that Zoro thought about it, Pell wasn't even giving his all when it came to getting out of his grasp. In fact, Pell was also a fast runner, but he didn't catch up to him. It was then, he noticed the silence in the room.

Zoro turned around. The girls were still standing in front of him. They have yet to approach Cobra. There was a large table in the middle of the room that sat only two people present. One of them was Cobra. The other, Zoro didn't recognize. His deep black-purple hair was slicked back. He was dressed in a suit as well and over it was an oversized coat.

There were two things that surprised Zoro about him. First, he looked to be no older than them, and that made him grow even more curious as to why he was even here. Second, he hand a long horizontal scar that ran straight across his face. Just looking at his face was intimidating Zoro, but it was irritating him as well. This one man was causing all this ruckus.

"Who the hell are you?"

* * *

**New arc! Finally! lol I've been planning this part of the story since before GLA even ended xP**


	16. Chapter 16

Like any other day at the Baratie, Zeff was giving Sanji one of his lectures again. As always, Sanji grew mad furious at an unappreciative customer and unleashed all his rage into making sure that customer ate everything on his plate. This scared off some of the customers, of course, but entertained those remained.

"Jeez, Sanji, everyone's different. Get that through that thick head of yours," said Zeff. "If this happens again this week, you'll be put into working the bathrooms."

Sanji rolled his eyes. "Whatever. I've worked every job in this restaurant except for yours. I can handle any job you give me."

Zeff sighed. He sat on the chair of his desk and raised his feet onto the table.

"How are things with you and Vivi-chan? Well? How is she?" asked Zeff. Sanji pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

"She's.. had a lot on her mind lately," said Sanji, referring to her situation with the casino. "She's been planning to come here and visit."

"You better be treating her right in that house. I don't want you getting that girl pregnant, understand?"

Sanji blushed a deep red. "Who ever said we were doing that kind of stuff! And besides, we're adults now!"

"Your words don't match your actions," said Zeff. Sanji was starting to grow irritated again at the mention of his little incident with his recent customer. Suddenly, his phone rang with Zoro's name on the caller i.d. Sanji sighed, as if dealing with Zeff wasn't enough for him already. He stepped out into the hallway to answer the call.

"What do you want, Marimo?"

"You better get down here. Something happened at the casino and they're keeping Robin, Vivi, and her father locked in a room."

"WHAT? Then, what the hell are you doing?! Do something!"

"They kicked me out! This guy brought friends. I already called the others. They're on their way here right now."

Sanji grimaced. He looked at the time. His shift doesn't end for another hour.

Screw it.

"Oi, Jii-jii! I'm leaving an hour early!" Sanji yelled through the closed door.

"Do that and you'll be punished _again_ the next time you come back in!"

"I'll take anything!" Sanji sprinted into a run. Honestly, he could care less what kind punishment he got from the old man. Vivi was his first priority. To add to that, the fact that each one of the crew members are heading over there right now means this is some serious business.

Upon his arrival in front of the busy casino, Sanji saw the rest of the Straw Hats waiting at the front where Zoro had called them. He gritted his teeth when it registered into his mind that he was the last to arrive.

"Now can you please explain to us what exactly is going on?" asked Nami. "Where are Vivi and Robin?"

Zoro sighed. Suddenly, Robin appeared to them through the main entrance. The Straw Hats crowded around her, asking questions. Luckily, the noise of the crowds of people, mostly guests and tourists, overpowered that of the Straw Hats, so the security couldn't hear them.

"Robin, what's going on?"

"Where's Vivi?"

"Who are these guys?"

"How's Cobra?"

The curious Straw Hats paused to a stop when Sanji stepped forward. He looked calm for someone who should be frantic about his missing girlfriend.

"Robin, where's Vivi?" Sanji asked calmly.

"I'll explain everything when we get home. Its best if we leave," said Robin.

"We're going without Vivi?" asked Chopper.

"She's with her father. She'll be fine. If we barge in there, it'll only make the situation worse for them." Robin could still see the hesitation and concern in her friends' faces. She couldn't blame them. She'd be feeling the same thing if she was in their shoes. For now, she needed to tell them their situation, but she couldn't do it here.

Luffy sighed. "Let's go home."

-x-

Now alone with her new "rival," Vivi eyed him. They looked like they were in the same grade. Even Robin gave her a brief description of him before she left. His name is Crocodile and he's one of Marineford University's Top Seven. Truth be told, she could care less about his title or his name. She only wished for this man to be sent far away from her business.

"Of all the casinos in the city, no, in the _country_," Vivi started, "why choose this one?"

"Then you clearly don't have your eyes open. This casino has been ranked the highest out of many."

"Then why are you trying to buy it?! Why couldn't you start your own company and build yourself to the top like we did?!"

"For the exact same reason why we're here. Just seeing the pain and frustration on your face brightens me. Once I take over this place, I'm going to have to set a few new changes. Something the casino will have that will make it even better."

Vivi scowled. She sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. She sucked in her lips and stared hard at the man in front of her. She was afraid that if she said more, she'd burst into tears and possibly beg for him to leave. She couldn't leave this place when this man is here interrogating her father. The crew is also on her mind. By now, Robin must've explained everything to them. The possibility of Luffy wanting to be involved is set high now that he knows.

One thing lingers in the back of her mind, though. Is Marineford University really allowing one of their students buy out a famous company and naming it their own all for self satisfaction? She knew that Marineford's schools are very strict, but she didn't think something like this was actually being overlooked.

-x-

"EHH?" the crew said in unison. The news from Robin knocked the wind out of almost all of them, leaving them speechless. Robin sat in her seat, waiting patiently for their opinions. She had nothing more to say. Everything she just explained to them was the truth.

"So, some kid from Marineford University is trying to get a hold of Alabasta Inn. and making it their own business?" said Usopp who pretty much summed up everything Robin had explained to them. "That's absurd! What gives this kid the right to even buy the casino out of the blue!"

"He's right!" Chopper agreed. "Maybe we should just go up to the guy and teach him a lesson."

"Tch, good luck. This guy had the whole place swarming with guards. Just the look on his face creeps me out," Zoro muttered the last part.

"Who is he anyway?" asked Franky.

"He's one of the top seven I told you about before," said Robin.

"Like Hancock?" asked Luffy.

"Ee, his name is Crocodile."

"What's with all these animal names in that school. First there was a Kuma, a Hawk, now a Crocodile?" questioned Usopp.

"That school's filled with animals," mentioned Zoro.

"So, let me guess, is he the richest out of all of them, 'cause he clearly has a lot of money in his pockets to buy out a whole casino," said Sanji.

Robin shrugged. "Rich or not, he has his ways of luring you into a corner with anything he has. Vivi and Cobra are trying their best to get out of this situation without the involvement of money."

"You don't know anything about him?" asked Luffy.

"Not anything that has happened to them over the past two years."

"Then, may I ask, why isn't Vivi-san here with us right now?" asked Brook.

"Crocodile wanted Cobra inside the casino until he agree to releasing the casino to him. Vivi stayed behind because she didn't want Cobra alone with him."

"WHAT?!"

"That guy's out of his mind!" asked Franky.

"Isn't that against the law? He's holding a family hostage!" said Nami.

While everyone was throwing out their opinions on the situation. Zoro sat back. He knew he couldn't do anything about it now. To his surprise, the captain was staying out of this as well. The cook too.

Suddenly, the room grew quiet. Zoro looked up to see the rest of the members starring at the three of them.

"What?" asked Zoro.

"You three haven't said much all night," said Nami. "Luffy?"

Luffy thought hard about it, then sighed. He stared back into the eyes of his crew. "Honestly, I just want to beat the crap out of that guy..."

"Annd?" Usopp urged on.

"Don't worry about it so much." Luffy leaned forward and reassured them with a grin. "I'm not going to let anything happen to them or the casino, especially if one of Marineford's lackeys are involved."

-x-x-

Nami felt groggy when she woke up in the middle of the night due to a dry throat. She tossed and turned when she couldn't get herself to sleep, but after an hour or two of just lying there, she eventually fell asleep. She's had a lot on her mind all night. Granted, she could've gone to Luffy for some comfort, but she knew even he had a lot on his mind too, as a captain and a friend.

As Nami climbed down the stairs, she could hear a voice coming from the kitchen. She slowed down her pace and hid herself just beside the entrance of the kitchen. She was surprised to hear that it was Sanji's voice she was hearing. When Nami peeked over the side, she saw him sitting on the table, hit feet resting on a chair. He was hunched over and his phone was to his ear. It was so quiet, she could hear the other person's voice through the phone. It was Vivi's, and she was sobbing.

"Don't cry, Vivi-chan," Sanji said softly. "Its hard enough that I can't hold you. This will all be over soon. That bastard's just picking for a fight."

"But I don't know how long I can last down here." Vivi sniffled. "His bodyguards are everywhere watching our movements. Its hard enough telling the guests that they have nothing to worry about even though I should be telling that to myself."

"Do you want me to come over there?"

"You'll miss school tomorrow."

"School's not important to me now that I know you're not okay."

"I'm not going to be the reason why you miss school."

"Then I'll head straight over there once the bell rings. I'll sneak through security and meet you in your room. Those guys aren't invading your privacy too, right?"

Vivi sighed. "No...please hurry though."

"I will."

Nami stared down at her slippers. Without Vivi here, it was almost like they were incomplete, and its hurting them a lot more than she expected.

-x-x-

"You didn't have to follow me, you know," said Luffy. He turned around to Zoro, Usopp, and Nami who were avoiding his stares. "I'm just doing an errand for Kaa-chan, then I'm heading home."

After the last bell for the day, the Straw Hats went their separate ways, except for them. Right now, they're heading to the bar after Makino texted Luffy, asking him to run an errand for her after school.

"If Sabo's at home, why doesn't Makino let him do it?" asked Usopp.

"Maybe she needs someone macho like me to handle it," Luffy gloated.

"Now you're giving yourself too much credit," said Zoro.

When they entered the bar, they found the answer to Usopp's question. The place was jammed packed, resulting to Makino and Sabo running all over the place. When the working mother spotted her son at the front, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you're here," said Makino.

"Would you like any help?" Nami offered.

"Oh no, that's okay. Sabo and I have everything under control. You guys can accompany Luffy to run his errand," said Makino while handing Luffy a bag.

Luffy peeked inside. "Rice crackers?...Wait, you're not-"

"He's been asking for them, but Sabo and I have been so busy."

Luffy started to panic. "What about Ace?! Or Tou-chan?!"

"They both have jobs, honey, and you know how he feels about Shanks."

"No, please, Kaa-chan-"

"I'm sorry, but you're lucky you have your friends with you."

"That doesn't change anything!"

"Good luck, Luffy!" Sabo yelled over the crowd of people.

Luffy sighed when he stepped out of the bar. "I'm going to die. _I'm_ going to _die_."

"Not to mention, that's really far. Its on the other side of the city," said Zoro.

"Let's go now before we're late for dinner," Nami added.

"I don't get it. Where are we going?" asked Usopp.

Luffy grimaced. "I have to deliver these to Jii-chan at Marineford University."

* * *

**Have you guys noticed the huge fandom surrounding Attack on Titan? Its bigger than Sword Art Online. It's crazy! **

**..And I'm one of them ^^**


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